Archaic Bookish Words in Abai Kunanbayuly’s Works: A Linguostatistical Analysis


Mursal A. Tlegenova G. Zhanabekova A. Cherepanova A.
March 2025Bilingual Publishing Group

Forum for Linguistic Studies
2025#7Issue 3195 - 208 pp.

This article examines the archaic bookish words presented in the works of the great Kazakh poet and thinker Abai Kunanbayuly. The purpose of the article is identifying the specifics of the use of archaisms and bookish words in Abai’s works, as well as their role in the formation of the aesthetic and philosophical content of the literary texts. In the context of the study of archaic bookish words in the works of Abai Kunanbayuly, the study allowed us to identify the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the word frequency according to parts of speech used. The analysis is based on a linguostatistical approach, using a quantitative method to determine the word frequency, contextual use and semantic connections of archaic vocabulary. The results of the analysis showed that the most frequently used parts of speech are verbs (14,956 examples) and nouns (14,119 examples). This frequency reflects the dynamic and descriptive nature of Abai’s works, as well as their connection with traditional culture and philosophy. The study shows that the author’s use of archaisms highlights the richness of the Kazakh language while playing a key role in preserving cultural and historical traditions. It connects the heritage of the past with the values of modernization. The findings of the study confirm that archaic vocabulary demonstrates the richness of the lexical and semantic potentials of the Kazakh language. The results obtained can be useful for further study of the lexico-semantic features of Abai’s works and the role of archaic bookish words on the development of the modern Kazakh language. Copyright

Abai Kunanbayuly , Archaic Words , Bookish Style , Bookish Words , Borrowings , Kazakh Literature , Linguostatistical Analysis , Literary Texts , Word Frequency

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Department of Language History and Turkology, A. Baitursynuly Institute of Linguistics, Almaty, 050010, Kazakhstan
Department of Applied Linguistics, A. Baitursynuly Institute of Linguistics, Almaty, 050010, Kazakhstan
Department of Practical Foreign Language, Kazakh National Women’s Pedagogical University, Almaty, 050010, Kazakhstan

Department of Language History and Turkology
Department of Applied Linguistics
Department of Practical Foreign Language

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