Summary
The knowledge of the vocabulary system comprise as its obligatory component the knowledge of its etymological aspect, as the origin of words can considerably influence its inner and outer form as well as the sphere of the functioning. The etymology of a definite language vocabulary demonstrates specific historical, cultural and social features proper to a certain ethno cultural community. This accounts for etymology problems being actual in modern linguistic studies and determines the actual value of their study.
The aim of our research was to compare the etymology of names of musical instruments in Ukrainian and English language.
The material of the investigation were words denoting musical instruments in English and Ukrainian language.
The methods of investigation were the method of etymological analysis and the method of comparative analysis.
The research conducted in the paper mad it possible to draw the following conclusions, which are made on the base of tables and illustrations of the research:
1. The layer of borrowings comprises both common and different elements in English and Ukrainian.
2. In English the French element belonged to 3 of 4 groups (excluding Idophones). This element is the most numerous in Aerophones and Chordophones (6 and 4 words accordingly). The Italian element is second by number and is represented in Aerophones and Chordophones (3 and 4 words accordingly). The Russian element is numerous too in Aerophones and Chordophones (3 and 2 words accordingly). So are the German (3 elements in Aerophones), Greek (4 elements) and Latin (4 elements). The last two are divided between groups evenly.
3. German, Italian and Russian elements are the most numerous in Ukrainian. The German is represented in Aerophones and Chordophones (5 and 5 words). Russian is represented in Aerophones, Chodophones and Membranophones (4, 1 and 1 word). Italian element is represented in Aerophones and Chordophones (2 and 4 elements accordingly). Polish (3 words), English (3 words) and French (3 words elements) are numerous too.
4. We can say that the common feature between the two languages is that the classical element (Greek and Latin) is represented both in English and in Ukrainian when comparing them. This fact is connected with the historical development of all the Indo-European languages. Italian, French and German elements are represented in both languages too, which is connected with specific features of borrowing of words denoting cultural elements. We can see that German element is represented by the greater quantity in Ukrainian than in English (3 elements in English and 10 in Ukrainian), and so is the Russian (5 elements in English and 6 in Ukrainian). Polish element is represented in Ukrainian while in English it isn’t. The French element is represented by the greater number of units in English than in Ukrainian (11 units in English and 3 in Ukrainian). The reason is specific features of cultural, social and political connections of the two countries.
5. When we have analyzed native lexical elements in English and Ukrainian, we saw that it is represented by insignificant quantity in both languages. In Ukrainian native element is represented by the larger quantity of elements which can be explained by the fact that the words were taken from the standart classification and there were no national English instruments and there were some Ukrainian. That is why we do not pay much attention to these results.
6. The study of borrowed words helps to bring out interaction of historical, social and language factors in the formation of a certain language vocabulary.