Research Article
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Examining Color Recognition in the Kurdish Language: A Sociolinguistic Perspective

Year 2024, Volume: 10 Issue: 2, 272 - 282, 21.09.2024

Suleyman Kasap

https://doi.org/10.21600/ijoks.1456401

Abstract

This study employs a cross-sectional research design to explore color recognition among Kurdish participants, encompassing individuals from various age and education groups. The research aims to investigate patterns of color perception across demographic segments within the Kurdish population. Participants were selected from four distinct groups: elementary school graduates (elderly), high school students, university students, and university graduates. The study involved presenting participants with a list of color names in Kurdish and recording their responses to assess color recognition. Descriptive statistics, including frequency distributions and percentages, were utilized to analyze the data and identify trends in color perception. The total number of participants in the study was 274. Findings indicate a high level of familiarity with basic colors such as black, white, red, green, yellow, and blue across all participant groups, with recognition rates ranging from 85% to 96%. However, less common colors, including gray, orange, pink, and purple, showed varying levels of recognition among different participant groups. Gray was relatively better recognized compared to other less common colors, with recognition rates ranging from 8.93% to 15%, suggesting potential differences in exposure to color terminology among different age and education groups.

Keywords

Sociolinguistics Colors Kurdish Language Kurd

References

  • Babayiğit, M. V. (2021). Semantic and Modal Analysis of Some Verbs in Kurdish, Turkish and English. International Journal of Kurdish Studies 7 (1), 123-139, https://doi.org/10.21600/ijoks. 850817.
  • Cebi, A., & Babayigit, M. V., (2021). A cross-cultural study of the speech act of apology by Turkish and Kurdish Speakers of English and the native English speakers of English. Şarkiyat, 13(2), 895-909.
  • Berlin, B., & Kay, P. (1969). Basic color terms: Their universality and evolution. University of California Press. Bulmer, D. K. (1968). Kalam colour categories. Kivung, 1, 120-33.
  • Conklin, H. (1964). Hanunóo colour categories. In D. H. Hymes (Ed.), Language in culture and society (pp. 189-192). New York: Harper & Row.
  • Conklin, H. C. (1955). Hanunóo color categories. Southwestern Journal of Anthropology, 11(4), 339–344.
  • Crystal, D. (2003). English as a global language (2nd ed.). Cambridge: University Press.
  • Dedrick, D. (1997). Colour categorization and the space between perception and language. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 20, 187-8.
  • Geertz, C. (1983). Local knowledge. New York: Basic Books.
  • Goddard, C. (1998). Semantic analysis: A practical introduction. Oxford: University Press.
  • Goddard, C. (1999). Review article: Colour categories in thought and language. Linguistic Typology, 3, 259-69.
  • Goddard, C., & Wierzbicka, A. (Eds.). (1994). Semantic and lexical universals: Theory and empirical findings. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Goddard, C., & Wierzbicka, A. (Eds.). (2002). Meaning and universal grammar: Theory and empirical findings. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Hargrave, S. (1982). A report on colour term research in five Aboriginal languages. In Work Papers of SIL-AAB Series B8. Darwin: Summer Institute of Linguistics Australian Aborigines Branch.
  • Isaacs, J. (1999). Spirit Country – Contemporary Australian Aboriginal art. Melbourne: Hardie Grant Books.
  • Karacan, H., & Babayiğit, M. V. (2017). Türk ve Kürt Dillerinin Sentaks (Sözdizimsel) Karşılaştırması. Tiydem Yayıncılık, Editör: Hasan KARACAN, Basım sayısı, 3, 7-31.
  • Kay, P. (2004). NSM and the meaning of colour words. Theoretical Linguistics, 29, 237-48.
  • Kay, P., & Maffi, L. (1999). Color appearance and the emergence and evolution of basic color lexicons. American Anthropologist, 101(2), 307–319.
  • Kuschel, R., & Monberg, T. (1974). Color term salience. Anthropological Linguistics, 16(8), 358–365
  • Langlois, A. (2004). Alive and kicking: Areyonga teenage Pitjantjatjara. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.
  • Laughren, M., Hale, K., & Warlpiri Lexicography Group. (2006). Warlpiri-English encyclopaedic dictionary [Electronic files]. St Lucia: University of Queensland.
  • Levinson, S. C. (2000). Yélî Dnye and the theory of basic color terms. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, 10(1), 3–55.
  • Levinson, S. C. (2001). Language and cognition: The cognitive consequences of spatial description in Guugu Yimithirr (Vol. 59). Cambridge University Press.
  • Lucy, J. A. (1992). Grammatical categories and cognition: A case study of the linguistic relativity hypothesis. Cambridge University Press.
  • Morphy, H. (2005). From dull to brilliant: The aesthetics of spiritual power among the Yolngu. In M. Perkins & H. Morphy (Eds.), Anthropology of art: A reader (pp. 302-320). Oxford: Blackwell.
  • Munn, N. D. (1973). Walbiri iconography: Graphic representation and cultural symbolism in a Central Australian society. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press.
  • Robertson, I. G., Davies, I. R. L., & Davidoff, J. (2000). Color categories are not universal: Replications and new evidence from a Stone-age culture. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 129(3), 369–398.
  • Saunders, B. A. C., & van Brakel, J. (2002). Are there nontrivial constraints on color categorization? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 25(4), 465–466.
  • Snow, C. E. (1971). The development of color classification in children. Cognitive Psychology, 2(2), 219–242.
  • Scott, K. (2007). Strangers at home. In M. Besemeres & A. Wierzbicka (Eds.), Translating lives: Australian stories of language migration (pp. 1-11). St Lucia: University of Queensland Press.
  • Simpson, J. (2006). How do we know what they see? Retrieved from http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/elac/2006/09/how_do_we_know_what_they_see_f.html
  • Wierzbicka, A. (1990). The meaning of colour terms: Semantics, culture, and cognition. Cognitive Linguistics, 1, 99.
  • Wierzbicka, A. (1992). Semantics, culture and cognition: Universal human concepts in culture-specific configurations. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Wierzbicka, A. (2006a). English: Meaning and culture. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Wierzbicka, A. (2006b). The semantics of colour: A new paradigm. In C. Biggam & C. Kay (Eds.), Progress in colour studies, vol. I: Language and culture (pp. 1-24). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Year 2024, Volume: 10 Issue: 2, 272 - 282, 21.09.2024

Suleyman Kasap

https://doi.org/10.21600/ijoks.1456401

Abstract

References

  • Babayiğit, M. V. (2021). Semantic and Modal Analysis of Some Verbs in Kurdish, Turkish and English. International Journal of Kurdish Studies 7 (1), 123-139, https://doi.org/10.21600/ijoks. 850817.
  • Cebi, A., & Babayigit, M. V., (2021). A cross-cultural study of the speech act of apology by Turkish and Kurdish Speakers of English and the native English speakers of English. Şarkiyat, 13(2), 895-909.
  • Berlin, B., & Kay, P. (1969). Basic color terms: Their universality and evolution. University of California Press. Bulmer, D. K. (1968). Kalam colour categories. Kivung, 1, 120-33.
  • Conklin, H. (1964). Hanunóo colour categories. In D. H. Hymes (Ed.), Language in culture and society (pp. 189-192). New York: Harper & Row.
  • Conklin, H. C. (1955). Hanunóo color categories. Southwestern Journal of Anthropology, 11(4), 339–344.
  • Crystal, D. (2003). English as a global language (2nd ed.). Cambridge: University Press.
  • Dedrick, D. (1997). Colour categorization and the space between perception and language. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 20, 187-8.
  • Geertz, C. (1983). Local knowledge. New York: Basic Books.
  • Goddard, C. (1998). Semantic analysis: A practical introduction. Oxford: University Press.
  • Goddard, C. (1999). Review article: Colour categories in thought and language. Linguistic Typology, 3, 259-69.
  • Goddard, C., & Wierzbicka, A. (Eds.). (1994). Semantic and lexical universals: Theory and empirical findings. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Goddard, C., & Wierzbicka, A. (Eds.). (2002). Meaning and universal grammar: Theory and empirical findings. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Hargrave, S. (1982). A report on colour term research in five Aboriginal languages. In Work Papers of SIL-AAB Series B8. Darwin: Summer Institute of Linguistics Australian Aborigines Branch.
  • Isaacs, J. (1999). Spirit Country – Contemporary Australian Aboriginal art. Melbourne: Hardie Grant Books.
  • Karacan, H., & Babayiğit, M. V. (2017). Türk ve Kürt Dillerinin Sentaks (Sözdizimsel) Karşılaştırması. Tiydem Yayıncılık, Editör: Hasan KARACAN, Basım sayısı, 3, 7-31.
  • Kay, P. (2004). NSM and the meaning of colour words. Theoretical Linguistics, 29, 237-48.
  • Kay, P., & Maffi, L. (1999). Color appearance and the emergence and evolution of basic color lexicons. American Anthropologist, 101(2), 307–319.
  • Kuschel, R., & Monberg, T. (1974). Color term salience. Anthropological Linguistics, 16(8), 358–365
  • Langlois, A. (2004). Alive and kicking: Areyonga teenage Pitjantjatjara. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.
  • Laughren, M., Hale, K., & Warlpiri Lexicography Group. (2006). Warlpiri-English encyclopaedic dictionary [Electronic files]. St Lucia: University of Queensland.
  • Levinson, S. C. (2000). Yélî Dnye and the theory of basic color terms. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, 10(1), 3–55.
  • Levinson, S. C. (2001). Language and cognition: The cognitive consequences of spatial description in Guugu Yimithirr (Vol. 59). Cambridge University Press.
  • Lucy, J. A. (1992). Grammatical categories and cognition: A case study of the linguistic relativity hypothesis. Cambridge University Press.
  • Morphy, H. (2005). From dull to brilliant: The aesthetics of spiritual power among the Yolngu. In M. Perkins & H. Morphy (Eds.), Anthropology of art: A reader (pp. 302-320). Oxford: Blackwell.
  • Munn, N. D. (1973). Walbiri iconography: Graphic representation and cultural symbolism in a Central Australian society. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press.
  • Robertson, I. G., Davies, I. R. L., & Davidoff, J. (2000). Color categories are not universal: Replications and new evidence from a Stone-age culture. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 129(3), 369–398.
  • Saunders, B. A. C., & van Brakel, J. (2002). Are there nontrivial constraints on color categorization? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 25(4), 465–466.
  • Snow, C. E. (1971). The development of color classification in children. Cognitive Psychology, 2(2), 219–242.
  • Scott, K. (2007). Strangers at home. In M. Besemeres & A. Wierzbicka (Eds.), Translating lives: Australian stories of language migration (pp. 1-11). St Lucia: University of Queensland Press.
  • Simpson, J. (2006). How do we know what they see? Retrieved from http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/elac/2006/09/how_do_we_know_what_they_see_f.html
  • Wierzbicka, A. (1990). The meaning of colour terms: Semantics, culture, and cognition. Cognitive Linguistics, 1, 99.
  • Wierzbicka, A. (1992). Semantics, culture and cognition: Universal human concepts in culture-specific configurations. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Wierzbicka, A. (2006a). English: Meaning and culture. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Wierzbicka, A. (2006b). The semantics of colour: A new paradigm. In C. Biggam & C. Kay (Eds.), Progress in colour studies, vol. I: Language and culture (pp. 1-24). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
There are 34 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Arabic Language, Literature and Culture
Journal Section Makaleler
Authors

Suleyman Kasap 0000-0001-8367-8789

Publication Date September 21, 2024
Submission Date March 21, 2024
Acceptance Date May 13, 2024
Published in Issue Year 2024Volume: 10 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Kasap, S. (2024). Examining Color Recognition in the Kurdish Language: A Sociolinguistic Perspective. International Journal of Kurdish Studies, 10(2), 272-282. https://doi.org/10.21600/ijoks.1456401
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