Sematic structures of color words in the Pa Co language (Analysis conducted at A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue province)

Abstract

Based on 108 words about color in the Pa Co language collected from A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue province, this article utilized the semantics structural analysis method to examine, and analyze the semantics characteristics of these words that are categorized with structural characteristics of meaning and appearance.The semantics characteristics in each structure are depicted in a collection of defined meanings. With non equal compound words that follow the structure of “color depiction + level depiction”, there are two strands of meaning: descriptive meaning and emotional meaning. With non-equal compound words that follow the structure of “color depiction + representation thing”, there are two strands of meaning: descriptive meaning and symbolic meaning. With equal compound words that follow the structure of: “color depiction + color depiction”, there are two strands of meaning: categorical meaning, descriptive meaning, evaluative meaning, and meaning that depicts ranges. Hence, structural characteristics of the color word systems in Pa Co show that expressive values not only describe the colors of the material world, but also describe that of attitudes, emotions, moods and human delicacy