Author: T. V. Toporova (Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Linguistics)

Pages\n 882–889

Summary\n: The article focuses on the comparative analysis of the designations of the water in the Old Icelandic Elder Edda and in the Old Indian Rigveda, giving the study an Indo-European dimension, and considers the words in their context – a concrete literary monument. In the author’s opinion, this context exerts an influence on the formation and actualization of lexical and semantic identities and differences. The linguistic data are not considered separately but related to extralinguistic factors – the role of the water in mythology (in the creation myth, eschatology) and in cult. The most relevant difference of the semantic field the water in «Rigveda» consists in monocentrism: O.-Ind. áp- forms a kernel, occurs most frequently, is a hyperonym, while for «the Elder Edda» the polycentrism is typical, and also that the water nominations in «Rigveda» are directly connected with ritual and are determined by mythopoёic model of the world, the similar phenomena in «the Elder Edda» are expressed not so rectilinearly. Coincidence covers a wide range of the phenomena: cf. interpretation of the water as primary element in the cosmogonic myth, as prima materia, creative substance, a personification and a deification of the water, the concept of ambivalence of the water, a water mythologeme in the epistemiologic myth, differentiation of terrestrial and heavenly waters, an image of a dragon in the water, motives of treasures in the water and crossings the waters.

Keywords\n: Elder Edda, Rigveda, Indo-European comparative linguistics, the designations of the water, semantic reconstruction, cosmogonic myth.

References\n

Neckel G. Edda. Die Lieder des Codex Regius nebst verwandten Denkmälern. I. Text. Vierte, umgearbeitete Auflage von Hans Kuhn. Heidelberg, 1962.
Snorri Sturluson. Edda. Udg. af Finnur Jónsson. København, 1900.
Mladshaya Edda [The Younger Edda]. O. A. Smirnitskaya, M. I. Steblin-Kamenskiy (eds.). M., 1970. (In Russ.).
Starshaya Edda. Drevneislandskie pesni o bogakh i geroyakh [The Elder Edda. Old Icelandic songs about gods and heroes]. A. I. Korsun (transl.), M. I. Steblin-Kamenskiy (ed., introd., comm.). M.-L., 1963. (In Russ.).
Elizarenkova T. Ya. Slova i veshchi v Rigvede [Words and Things in the Rgveda]. M., «Vostochnaya literatura», 1999. (In Russ.).
Mify narodov mira. Entsiklopediya [Myths of the Peoples of the World. Encyclopedia]. S. A. Tokarev (ed.). M., «Sovetskaya entsiklopediya» publ., vol. 1, A – I, 1980; vol. 2, K– Ya, 1982. (In Russ.).
Wackernagel J. Indogermanische Dichtersprache. Kleine Schriften, Bd. I. Göttingen, 1953.