Lexical semantic features of cooking verbs in Kazakh and Russian

Abstract

This study examines the lexical-semantic features of cooking-related verbs in Kazakh and Russian, focusing on their similarities, differences, and cultural specificity. Culinary recipes are treated as a type of discourse in which verbs function as key structural elements that organize and convey the processes of food preparation. The research is grounded in the theory of lexical fields and applies componential, definitional, ethnolinguistic, and contrastive analysis methods to a corpus of verbs selected through continuous sampling. The findings demonstrate that while both languages share common semantic groupings of cooking verbs (e.g., preparation, cutting, frying, boiling), significant differences arise in the degree of semantic specificity and cultural marking. Kazakh verbs often encode ethnocultural practices and traditional cooking techniques that lack direct equivalents in Russian, reflecting the nomadic heritage and culinary traditions of the Kazakh people. In contrast, Russian employs more generalized verbs alongside a well-established system of international culinary terminology, largely influenced by European languages. The study highlights the role of cooking verbs as carriers of cultural and cognitive information and underscores the importance of accounting for semantic nuances in translation. The results contribute to contrastive linguistics, lexicography, and translation studies, particularly in the context of Kazakh language research.