Auxiliary words-indicators of comparison in the Yakut heroic epic ‟Obstinate Kulun Kullustuur”

This article examines markers of comparison in the Yakut heroic epic Kuruubai Khaannaakh Kulun Kullustuur (‟The Obstinate Kulun Kullustuur”). A total of 673 comparative constructions were identified in the Olonkho text, featuring the markers kurduk (‘compared to’), saga (‘equal to’ or ‘like’) and dyly (‘resembling’ or ‘as i’). The study aims to identify comparative constructions formed using postpositions within simple sentences. The Yakut heroic epic Kuruubai Khaannaakh Kulun Kullustuur served as the research material. The methodological framework relies on contextual and morphological analysis for the functional interpretation and classification of linguistic data, alongside descriptive and systematizing methods. The empirical section employs a glossing method to process and organize the linguistic material. The study is motivated by the need for a systematic description of comparison markers in the language of Olonkho. This article offers the first comprehensive analysis of simple sentences containing the markers kurduk, saҕa and dyly within this epic text. A comparative construction comprises three essential elements: the standard, the module, and the marker of comparison. In linguistic research, comparison is typically described as a tripartite structure consisting of the object (the item being compared), the standard (the reference point for comparison), and the module (the attribute serving as the basis for comparison). Nouns and personal pronouns most frequently function as the object and the standard of comparison. In the Yakut heroic epic Kuruubai Khaannakh Kulun Kullustuur (‟The Obstinate Kulun Kullustuur”), the most common comparative marker is kurduk (‘compared to’). Points of comparison include names of living organisms, plants, metals, artifacts, and natural phenomena. The analysis demonstrates that these comparative constructions serve both descriptive and characterizing functions. Future research prospects involve expanding the dataset and conducting a comparative study of such constructions across other Turkic languages.

This article will be of interest to folklorists, epic scholars, linguists, and humanities students, and may be utilized in the analysis of epic texts, syntax, and linguopoetics.

Funding: This article was written with support from RSF “Languages and Cultures of the Peoples of the North and the Arctic of the Russian Federation: Comprehensive socio-humanitarian research (on the basis of big data)” (Agreement No25-78-30006 of 22.05.2025)

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