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Introduction. The article deals with lexical means of expressing the category of locativity, the latter to serve a basic concept of space. Descriptions of locative parts of speech in typological works analyzing different languages make it possible to consider lexical semantic groups of locative nouns in Mongolian, Buryat, Oirat and Kalmyk. Goals. So, the study aims at describing lexical semantic groups of locative nouns in the mentioned Mongolic languages. Materials. The work examines various dictionaries of the Mongolic languages, literary and journalistic texts included into the available corpora of the languages. Results. Our insights show that Mongolic nouns may serve as various tools to express locativity meanings. The paper distinguishes a total of four key lexical semantic groups of the considered nouns: 1) types of surface, cardinal points, types of landscape; 2) names of countries, regions, cities, streets, squares; 3) structures, buildings, dwellings; 4) transport. In Mongolic languages, the analyzed vocabulary is represented by a wide range of lexemes. Different use patterns, absence or presence of certain lexemes in the languages under consideration has been noted. Conclusions. Analysis of the identified lexical semantic groups of locative nouns shows a variety of meanings in different combinations, as well as peculiarities of their use in related Mongolic languages. Nouns employed to refer to parts of the world, types of landscape, earth’s surface, countries and cities constitute quite a diverse layer of vocabulary too.

Introduction. This article is devoted to the semantics of postpositions with the meaning ‘between’ and ‘among’ in the Mongolian languages. Currently, the scholars are increasingly paying attention to studies of the spatial characteristics of various languages, andpostpositions are one of the means of expressing spatial relations. The meaning of ’space between the elements of a set or set serving as a reference point’ is conveyed by the localization INTER. The present study aims to describe postpositions with the meaning ‘between’ and‘among’ in the Mongolian languages. The research material was the data borrowed from various Mongolian dictionaries, literary and journalistic texts available in the Kalmyk National Corpus and the Kalmyk Electronic Library. Results. The meaning ‘between’ and‘among’ is often conveyed with the help of such postpositions as hoorond / hoorondo / hooronda / hoornd, dund / dunda / dunda / dund, zabharta / zaagta / zaagt, dunduur / dunduur / dundahuur / dundahur, dundaas / dundahaa / dundaasa / dundas, etc. Depending on the context, they may have their own peculiarities of use. The localization indicates ‘being between landmarks’, ‘moving into the space between landmarks’, and ‘moving out of the space between landmarks’. The meaning ‘being in the space between or among landmarks’ is related to the shape, uniformity of objects, as well as the distance between landmarks, while‘movement into space’ is characterized by directionality and non-directionality of action. Conclusion. The analysis of the postpositions in questionshows a variety of their meanings in various speech contexts, as well as peculiarities of their use in related Mongolian languages.

Introduction. The article examines spatial uses of the postposition деер in the Kalmyk language. The semantic system of postpositions that form postpositional constructions comprises a complex area of various relations. A remarkable place in the Mongolic languages is occupied by spatial meanings of postpositions, the postposition деер being a most common and productive one therein. Goals. The research aims to describe spatial meanings of the postposition деер in the Kalmyk language. Materials. The work analyzes data selected from various dictionaries, literary and journalistic texts included in the National Corpus of the Kalmyk Language, Kalmyk National Corpus, and the Kalmyk Digital Library. Results. This postposition is mentioned in all dictionaries of Mongolic languages and is a most common and productive lexical unit. It expresses a wide variety of relations resulting from its syntactic ties: spatial, temporal, comitative, target, and quantitative-restrictive values. Along with concrete, real relations this postposition in various speech situations acquires additional, sometimes very abstract meanings based its core seme. The spatial meanings of the postposition деер in the Kalmyk language are considered in detail. In addition to its main meaning — location or movement on the surface — this postposition indicates movement or performing an action over the surface of an object without reaching contact, in close vicinity, near a landmark, and also shows the direction of action. This postposition can express ‘event space’. Conclusions. The analysis of spatial relations expressed by the postposition деер shows a variety of transmitted meanings in various speech situations, as well as features of its use in the Kalmyk language.

Introduction. The study deals with spatial localization in the modem Kalmyk language. Being an important element of the world model, space finds its manifestation in certain language facts. In every language spatial semantics is expressed by certain lexical and grammatical units, and has somewhat pronounced specifics, particular semantic messages. Goals. The research seeks to describe types of localizations of spatial relations in the Kalmyk language expressed through case forms. M aterials. The work investigates selected literary, folklore and journalistic texts, as well as dictionaries extracted from the National Corpus of the Kalmyk Language and the Kalmyk National Corpus respectively. Results. In the Kalmyk language, a total of four grammatical cases may express spatial relations: the dative-locative, instrumental, ablative, and aditive ones serve to indicate location and motion in space, destination and starting points, and also movement of an object along or in/through space. The work reveals and describes localization types — in the Kalmyk language — with various values regarding a reference point. Among the general spatial values, the paper specificates location, approaching, departure and movement of an object ‘on, nearby, over’ with relation to a reference point. Private localizations (IN, APUD, AD, SUPER, ULTRA, SUPRA) expressed by case forms are used to indicate space inside, close, in the distance, on the surface, over a reference point, etc. The research attempts to reveal values of key localizations in the language examined.

The article analyses the toponyms of Kalmykia as they appear in Kalmyk folklore, where many of the phonetic, morphological and lexical features of the Kalmyk language has been preserved – the ones that slipped out of active use by contemporary native speakers. This can help shed a new light on the history of the Kalmyk language, and underscore the need for its further preservation and development. The article examines the materials collected by the authors during the expeditions in search of folklore, ethnographic and linguistic material in Kalmykia during 2012-2017. We also focus on the text of the heroic epic ‘Djangar’, tales, songs, legends, ritual texts, samples of everyday speech, phraseological units and special vocabulary. Also included are popular interpretations of placenames, which reflected the Kalmyks' views on clan movements, cult places, and special features of the inhabiting areas. The toponyms are not only the names of the territory of their modern residence, but also the names of the locations associated with Altai, which is the historical ancestral homeland of the Kalmyks, the space between the Volga and the Urals (in the period of the Kalmyk Khanate), the foothills of the North Caucasus. There are folklore samples containing the name of the mythical Sumeru mountain. Micro-toponyms and their derivatives, known by a limited group of people, are used in small genres of folklore. Ethnotoponyms are typical for magtal-ura (a kind of praise), an original genre of Kalmyk folklore. Place names and terms of geography harmoniously appear in Kalmyk proverbs, which reflect a wide variety of orientation in space. There are many lexical units referring to the fauna of the steppe area. In this case, toponyms with the names of plants and animals often have a grammatical component, which is the suffix of possession (-ta). Colors play an important role in describing and distinguishing geographical objects. Toponyms may also contain numerals with a specific meaning: three, five, six, seven, twenty, one hundred, etc., mostly denoting the number of wells. Folklore toponyms are the richest and most unique material that is important for further study of the toponymical system of Kalmykia and the regions of Central Asia.