The meaning of the basic term for the colour black in Czech, Polish and Upper Sorbian

Abstract

In European culture the colour black has quite a diverse and complex symbolism, which is also confirmed in the phrases containing black and referring to human life and the surrounding nature. This article is a comparative analysis of the meanings (figurative and literal) and connotations of the term “black” in three genetically close languages: Czech, Polish and Upper Sorbian. The comparative approach has brought out both the similarities in the conceptualization of this colour and its connotations, which are typical for two languages or only one. The semantic connotations of black in the analysed languages confirm their high compliance, which results from the linguistic and cultural proximity. The differences relate primarily to the wealth of expressions that implement the appropriate connotations. There is a visible lack of symmetry between Czech and Polish ??on the one hand, and Upper Sorbian on the other. In Upper Sorbian, as a minority language, one can also notice the influence of the German language (clichés of German expressions), which results from the closeness of Upper Sorbian with German.