A Comparative Study into the Color Terms in Greek and Turkish Literary Works

Abstract

Linguists have been studying the effect of cultural elements on the challenges of second language acquisition for the last three decades. The research findings have thus far shown the significance of the close relationship between cultural context and language, as well as of the awareness of cultural factors. It is required to have available data on the cultural similarities and differences that characterize language use in languages in question and to build a discussion of the topic on a more concrete basis through research in this field to see the effect of cultural awareness on second language acquisition. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to contribute accordingly. The study's sample consists of color-related phrases from Turkish and Greek literary texts. These phrases can facilitate language acquisition by developing a cultural 'affinity' for people learning Turkish and Greek. The present study is centered on the linguistic aspects of the Turkish and Greek societies, which have had long-standing relationships, and aims to determine where these two language communities differ or share similarities. Quantitative, qualitative and content analysis methods were used in this study. To clarify, the quantitative component is the frequency with which the relevant lexical units occur, whereas the qualitative aspect is the similarities and differences that emerge from the analyses of specific expressions operationalized for the purpose of the study.

Keywords

• cultural studies
• color terms
• Greek and Turkish languages

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