ABOUT THE FOLK COSMONYMIC NAMES OF INDIVIDUAL STARS IN KAZAKH AND ENGLISH
Authors
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*Marita Snabekova
Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training University
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Aisulu Nurtaeva
Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55808/1999-4214.2026-3.11Keywords:
folk cosmonym, the concept of time and space, ethnolinguistics, mythological semantics, navigation and path, comparative analysis, historical and cognitive model, Kazakh and English culture, TemirkazykAbstract
This article explores historical, linguocultural, mythological aspects of folk star names in Kazakh and English traditions. It analyzes principles of stability, mythological models, navigational significance in folk astronomy, drawing on A. Aronov’s research on Kazakh cosmonyms and Berner’s studies of Anglo-Saxon and Viking star names. In Kazakh culture, stars like Temirkazyk, Akbozat and Kokbozat symbolize constancy, while the Pole Star in English culture serves as a celestial guide. Connection of Baiterek, Temirkazyk between heaven and Earth in Kazakh legends, English names “Divine nails”, “Wodan’s path for souls”, “Horn of Plenty” are compared mythologically. Navigational terms like “Scip-steorra” (ship star), “Angel-sterne” (rotating star), “Leiðar-stjarna” (magnetic star) emphasize the stars’ guiding role. Using comparative-historical, ethnolinguistic and mythological methods, the study highlights the symbolic, cultural, economic significance of star names, identifying both similarities and differences. The findings reveal the deep cultural and historical value of folk astronomy in shaping worldviews.
