Similarities and differences in the actualization of linguocultural gender stereotypes in collocation with the component-name of instruments in Chinese and Russian languages

Liu Yue

The article presents the results of a comparative linguocultural analysis aimed at establishing similarities and differences in the actualization of gender stereotypical representations of the Chinese and Russian ethnos. In the course of studying the semantic and linguocultural meanings of the Chinese and Russian paremias, containing in their composition the component-name of the instrument, it was found that the Chinese and Russian linguocultures have both similar and different features in the formation of gender stereotyped representations. The similarity lies in the fact that in both the Chinese and Russian stereotypes, a man is portrayed as a leader, a breadwinner who is free to dispose of property at his own discretion. A woman plays a secondary role with a man, she acts as a kind of means for a man to feel comfortable. The difference is that in the Chinese linguistic culture a man is the sole leader, in Russian he is credited with the ability to unite efforts. In addition, women in the Russian linguistic culture are endowed with qualities that distinguish them favorably from men; this value is not recorded in the Chinese paremiological fund.

Keywords:Chinese proverbs, Russian proverbs, gender stereotypes, proverbs with a component-name of the instrument, linguocultural potential of proverbs.