Evolution of the concept of «the black colour» in Chinese linguoculture

this study explores the evolution of the concept of the COLOUR BLACK in Chinese linguoculture. Colour symbolism plays a significant role in the Chinese worldview, reflecting the influence of philosophical doctrines, ritual practices, and cultural traditions. The aim of the research is to identify the linguistic representations of the key features of the concept of the COLOUR BLACK and to trace their dynamics in historical and cultural contexts. The material used includes Chinese historical sources, fixed expressions, corpus data, and lexicographic materials. The analysis revealed two groups of features: those that have lost their relevance and those that remain actively used in modern Chinese. The latter group is further divided into elements rooted in ancient cultural traditions and newly formed meanings that have emerged under the influence of intercultural communication. The study demonstrates that the semantic field of the colour black in Chinese linguoculture is shaped by religious, philosophical, political, and sociocultural factors, reflecting a complex and multi-layered structure of national conceptual consciousness.

concept evolution, the colour black, Chinese linguoculture, linguoculturology, colour symbolism, conceptual analysis