Metal Color: Basic Knowledge through the Prism of Cognitive Metaphors

Abstract

Purpose. New color names are constantly being formed in Russian. Basically, these are names derived from the names of items with a pronounced color. Metal names are often used in this way. Dictionaries record the coloristic meanings of some nouns and adjectives of this group. Moreover, almost all definitions of words in this group are ostensive, that is, they associate color with the color of the metal. Thus, the definitions explicate the relationship between native speakers' knowledge of metals and the color of an object resembling metal. Dictionaries always associate with metals a shade of the basic color (steel - silver-gray, copper - reddish, silver - grayish-white). Gold is an exception, it is considered the benchmark for yellow. Iron, steel, silver, and platinum are the benchmarks for the color located in the transition zone between white and gray. Moreover, dictionaries often define the same color as the color of different metals and vice versa, the color of the same metal is determined differently. These facts do not allow to single out the cognitive content of the color names associated with the names of metals. Results. Analysis of metaphors in which the color of the metal is a source domain, allowed to draw conclusions about the cognitive importance of knowledge about the color of metals. If the name of the metal is involved in the metaphorical process, then among its derived values there is necessarily a coloristic value. This confirms the conclusion that the sign “color” for metal is among the most cognitively significant. Objects whose color is defined as silver, platinum, iron or steel, often the same, and their color may vary slightly. Comparison with the metal gives the most accurate representation of the color of these objects. Contexts demonstrate that for a native speaker of the Russian language, these metals still differ in color, that they are complex tint colors opposed to the main colors. Silver and platinum are the lightest of all metals, they are very similar in color. The differences between them are, rather, not coloristic, but axiological. When the color of objects is identified by referring to the color of platinum, it means that they are also credited with the qualities ‘fashionable’, ‘luxury’, ‘chic’ and the like. Perhaps that is why silver is used as a reference for this shade. The color of iron and steel is distinguished not only by the presence of a blue tint on steel, but also axiologically. The color of steel in the Russian language picture of the world is associated with a lack of feelings, even with cruelty.