The Structure and Semantics of Russian Compounds with a Color Component

The paper aims to investigate structural and semantic schemas of Russian compounds with a color-denoting component

Russian compounds are analyzed both in typological terms, taking into account the nature of the connection between the components of a compound word, and in word-formation terms.

Complex words denoting color may include two (or more) color bases, or one with a modifier specifying the color attribute: its luminosity, saturation, and other features. Composites with two color bases can be coordinate or attribute based. Expressive reduplication models represent a separate class.

Compounds can include two (or more) color bases, or one with a modifier specifying the color attribute: its luminosity, saturation, and other features; the modifier may contain an image of comparison. Compounds with two color bases can be coordinative or attributive.

As a result of the study, 13 schemas of compounds with a color component (adjectives, adverbs, nouns) were identified. Some of them are specific only for “color” compounds, some are included in broader semantic types. The survey to determine the color sample showed high productivity of the schema with the intensity modifier, as well as the formation of a new color standard.

The analysis helps to assess the possibilities of the Russian color designation system, which includes typologically diverse schemas. The main feature of most of them is their high productivity based on a free combination of components.