A Comparison of Equality in Kazakh and Turkic Languages of Siberia

The paper is devoted to a category of comparison in Kazakh and Turkic languages of Siberia. Kazakh is one of the Turkic languages of the Kipchak subgroup according to Baskakov’s classification, or the Northwestem branch, Kipchak Turkic according to Lars Johanson’s classification. Comparison is a mental act by which two objects are assigned a position on a predicative scale. In a semantic aspect all the languages express the same meaning of comparison: a comparison of equality or a comparison of inequality, but the forms expressing comparison in the world languages are quite different. Researchers have expressed a common opinion that comparison is a complex structural system of multi-level means of expression: lexical, morphological, syntatic. In the Turkic languages, the most productive way of expressing comparative relations of equality is the affix dAy that can be represented in the forms NdAy and V-GAn-dAy. In the Kazakh language comparative marker –dAy can follow i) Nouns NdAy and ii) Actional Nominal Verb form V-GAndAy. In our paper we will show the peculiarities of comparisons of equality in Kazakh, Altay Turkic, Khakass and Sakha Turkic.


Introduction 1.
A comparison is known as a multidimensional and multi-level phenomenon.Comparison is an object of study of various disciplines.
Category of comparison is studied in philosophy as a scientific and philosophical method aimed at a single way of knowing the particular and universal; and plays a role in cognition and movement of item changes, but also in discovering causes of certain events: it is a way of classifying and ordering objects and phenomena, a necessary component of any inferences that one employs as evidence (Maslennikov, 1968).
In linguistics, a comparison is a fact of language.In most cases it is considered as syntactic or stylistic category.Comparison also reflects the results of cognitive human activities (Samoylenko, 2010).
Comparison is a consideration or estimate of the similarities or dissimilarities between two things or people (Dixon, 2005).
Comparison is a rhetorical strategy and method of organization in which a writer examines similarities and/or differences between two people, places, ideas, or things (Nordquist, 2014).Comparison is a mental act by which two objects are assigned a position on a predicative scale (Leon Stassen, 1984).
Researchers on the data of the languages of different typological families have expressed a common opinion that comparison is a complex structural system of multi-level means of expression: lexical, morphological (in most cases these include the degrees of comparison of adjectives and adverbs), syntax (comparative prepositions and conjunctions , case endings, comparative speed , etc., with which comparison becomes part of a simple / complicated comparative ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences MCSER Publishing, July 2015 399 turnover offered by a complex sentence).

2.
The objective of this study is to describe the grammatical ways of expressing the comparative relations by means of the affixes -day/ dey in Kazakh.These comparative affixes are the most productive and contribute to the formation of both simple and complex syntactic units (with the help of these affixes both simple and complex syntactic units are formed).The number of examples with this affix is over 1,500.The examples have been taken from Kazakh fiction and nonfiction.
We have applied various linguistic and general scientific methods and techniques: comparative method identified various meanings of lexis in all Turkic languages, with descriptive as well as method of component analysis making it possible to collect the data.
During the research a variety of methods and techniques of analysis has been used.The primary method of research is descriptive.When processing the empirical data we used methods of component and transformational analysis, comparative-typological method, and the method of structural modeling.
In the analysis of the data, we used the concepts that used in comparative semantics: the object of comparison, the standard of comparison and comparison module.

Problem Statement 3.
It is well known that comparison (Latin 'comparatio') as a category of formal logic, suggests the presence of three elements: a) a concept that requires explanation (comparandum); b) a concept, that serves to illustrate (comparatum); c) a concept that serves as a "bridge" between two concepts (tertium comparationis) (Potebnya,1976).
Comparisons can be represented in simple and extended forms.In the simple comparison only two objects or phenomenon are compared under one common ground.In the extended comparison two or more objects are compared for many common features.The analysis of our data shows that the most frequent type of comparison in Kazakh are simple comparisons, they constitute about 80%.The model of simple comparison can be represented in Kazakh and other Turkic Languages (Altay Turkic, Sakha Turkic, Khakass etc.) by the model N-dAy.Whereas, the model of a complex comparison is represented by the form V-GAn-dAy.
In our study we will pay special attention to the peculiarity of the N-dAy form in Kazakh and Turkic languages of Siberia (Altay Turkic, Sakha Turkic, Khakass).
The Altay Turkic language belongs to Kirgiz-Kipchak group.The Khakass language belongs to the Kahass subgroup in the Uighur group.The Yakut language is one of the Turkic languages of the Yakut subgroup in the Uighur group (Baskakov, 2006).

The Ways of Expressing Comparative Relations by Means of the Model N-dAy in the Kazakh Language 4.
In Turkic languages, the most productive way of expressing comparative relations is the affix -dAy that can be represented in the form N-dAy.
Comparison constitutes a proposition of comparison that can be encoded in various types of comparative syntactic constructions (CC).Following Maya Cheremisina (1976), we understand CC as constructions involving a module of comparison, i.e. a predicative scale, which is usually encoded as a gradable predicate, and two objects: 1) the object of comparison (the comparee NP), and 2) the standard of comparison, i.e. the object that serves as the "yard-stick" for comparison Comparison is expressed by various syntactic constructions consisting of several components expressing a comparee, a standard, and a parameter.
Each component, which is mentioned above, means the following: e.gShe is sly as a fox 1) Comparee, i.e. the entity which is compared -'she'; 2) Standard, i.e. the entity serving for comparison -'fox'; 3) Standard Marker, i.e.the indicator of a standard -'as'; 4) Parameter, the common ground on which items are compared -'sly' ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences The STM-Standard marker is expressed in a canonical way: by a special comparative morphological marker, or a comparative postposition.Here it is expressed morphologically by the affix -dAy The CMP is normally the subject of a canonical CC.
The PARA is its predicate.

Non-canonical CC
In non-canonical constructions, the comparative relations in Kazakh are expressed lexically with words as 'ten' -equal, by means of verbs as 'uqsa=w'-with a lexical semantics in English as 'be alike', 'resemble', 'look like'.e.g.'The price of the car is equal to the price of the house' 'The car is as expensive as the house.'A logical operation of comparison results either in similarity (equality), or difference of two entities.There are only two basic results that can be expressed in a construction of comparison: (a) identity or similarity, (b) difference.
If the result shows that the two entities in question do not differ with respect to the quality or property, we are dealing with a comparison of equality: John is as tall as Mary.
On the other hand, if two entities do indeed differ, then the result will be termed as a comparison of inequality: John is taller than Mary.(Andersen, 1983) Relations of identity are expressed in the following types of constructions of comparison: equative similative Martin Haspelmath and Oda Buchholz (1983) consider simulative constructions together with equative as they have close semantic and formal similarities with equatives.Equatives express equal extent, and similatives express an equal manner.

Comparison of equality in Turkic Languages.
The term equative is applied to comparative-like constructions in which the degrees compared are identical rather than distinct.The parameter here is expressed by a nominal.
Equative constructions in Kazakh: 'Ayzhan (is) as beautiful as Zhanar.' 'Ayzhan is beautiful to the same extent as Zhanar.' (the equal extent of the quality "beautiful" is expressed) The standard marker is expressed by the affix -day.

Standard markers in equative and simulative constructions.
In Kazakh, Altay Turkic and Khakass equative and simulative constructions are formed by the same means, and are closely related to each other.In such languages (where they are expressed in a very similar way) we may distinguish equative constructions from simulative by analyzing their structural features and determining whether the construction expresses sameness of extent or sameness of manner.

Conclusion 6.
In this study we have examined the comparison of equality in Kazakh and the Turkic languages of Siberia.The comparison of equality is expressed in equative and similative constructions.Equatives and similatives in Kazakh language are expressed in the same way, i.e. they have the same standard markers.The standard marker can be synthetic or analytic.The synthetic standard markers in Kazakh comparisons of equality are expressed with the help of affixes day/dey,tay/tey, ša/še.The affix of comparison -day/dey is used in both constructions, whereas the affix -ša/ še is used only in simulative ones.The affix -day/dey can be attached to any noun, the affix -ša/ še only to animate nouns.The analytic standard marker in Kazakh comparisons of equality is expressed with the help of postpositions 'siyaqtï', 'sekildi'.The postpositions 'siyaqtï', 'sekildi' form the standard NP in both constructions.
Kazakh and Turkic languages of Siberia have common features when expressing the comparison of equality.In Kazakh, Altay Turkic and Khahass variations of the same affixes are used.The standard marker in these languages can be formed in synthetic and analytic ways.
Equative and similative constructions are very similar and closely related.Only the parameter helps us to distinguish them, as the parameters in these constructions are different.The parameter in the equative construction is expressed by an adjective.In equative constructions, the adjective does not bear any special marker of equality of the compared entities.However, the parameter may have an adverb expressing the grade of quality which is shared by both the comparee and the standard.The parameter in the simulative constructions may be expressed by any finite or nonfinite verb form.Equatives express equal extent of a parameter, and similatives express equal manner of a parameter.Therefore the presence of a parameter is obligatory as it differentiates equatives from similatives.
The analysis shows that all constructions of equality possess common features.They constitute the same components such as a comparee, a standard, a standard marker and a parameter.
Comparison constitutes a proposition of comparison that can be encoded in various types of comparative syntactic constructions (CC).Proposition of comparison can be expressed by simple sentences built according to various patterns:'Her eyes shone like stars.'