The linguistic and cultural nature of food names in national cultural discourse

Abstract

This article will comprehensively differentiate the national names of dishes of the Kazakh people from a linguocultural point of view, and will examine in detail their place and functions in cultural discourse. The study reveals that the names of food products go beyond simple everyday vocabulary and represent a seman tic structure that reflects the worldview, spiritual and cultural values, social relations, and lifestyle of people. The national names of dishes are not just names of food products, but also cultural and symbolic symbols that reflect the philosophy of life, beliefs, customs, and the relationship of an ethnic group to nature. The article
provides a detailed description of the etymology, morphological structure, semantic groups, and the role of food names in the Kazakh language as a cultural code using ethnolinguistic, cultural-semantic, historical comparative, and discursive analysis methods. The root, suffix, qualitative adjectives, and figurative elements in the names of dishes are aimed at revealing their motivation, level of figurativeness, and ethno-cultural content. In addition, the pragmatic, ritual, and symbolic meaning behind the name of each dish is determined. The study systematizes the names of food products within three main cultural concepts: meat (status, hospi tality, and courage), bread (well-being, everyday life, and women's work), and dairy products (white, purity, vitality, and honesty). These three concepts are considered to be the core concepts that define the deep layers of Kazakh culture, worldview, and philosophy of existence. The linguistic and cultural pragmatics of such concepts and traditions as «ak dam», «bas tartu», «sybaga», and «qazan» are analyzed in depth. In addition, the fact that certain national names of dishes are being forgotten, their historical and semantic reconstruction, and the revival of their cultural significance are addressed in the context of modern globalization. At the same
time, the historical basis, morphological structure, and ethnolinguistic content of such rare names as «tute», «maishurkan», «bukpa», and «zhorgem» are revealed. As a result, this article will be presented as an im portant linguistic and cultural source that will preserve the historical memory and spiritual identity of the Kazakh people, and pass on cultural codes to future generations.