NOMINATIONS OF DOG BREEDS IN THE CHINESE LANGUAGE: MOTIVATIONAL ASPECT

Abstract

The names of dog breeds that function in the Chinese language are considered. The purpose of the study is to identify the motivational characteristics underlying these units. The analysis allows us to establish that the most frequent motivation is based on the place where the breed was bred; motivation based on the dog’s appearance and functional motivation are relatively common (at the same time, the greatest variety of motivational signs is observed when motivated by features of external appearance). Types of motivation based on the character and behavior of the dog and the name of the breeder are rare. The data obtained indicate the anthropocentric nature of the worldview of Chinese speakers. At the same time, the studied nominations are largely characterized by multiple motivations, one of the reasons for which is the widespread occurrence of homonymy and polysemy in the Chinese language.