The Kazakh Concept of Soul in Abai Kunanbaev’s <i>Book of Words</i>

Abstract

This study explores conceptualisations of ??? ([jan] soul) in the Kazakh language from the perspective of cultural linguistics and its literary representation in the English translation of Book of Words by Abai Kunanbaev, a prominent Kazakh philosopher and writer. The concept of ??? (jan) was analysed from the viewpoint of philosophical and image features and their roles in the formation of the national worldview. A comparative study showed discrepancies in its realisation by Abai Kunanbaev and the English translation even though some variations in the translation cannot be complete equivalents. There is a lack of semantic and cultural identity, and the results indicate that the literal English translation of ??? (jan) does not transmit its whole cultural implications. The article also focuses on determining how different methods of translation reproduce the semantics of the analysed concept. The analysis concludes with the necessity of using structural and semantic shifts to better represent the target concept and culture.