The antinomy of life/death in the cultural-linguistic sphere
A comparative analysis based on Kyrgyz and Chinese literature
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22204161 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Dilaram Madaminova (Osh State University, corresponding author), Chinara Tokurova (Osh State University), Totukan Dyikanbaeva (Osh State University), Altynai Ismailova (Osh State University), Orunbay Suleymanov (Osh State University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Pages | 102527 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Sciences & Humanities Open (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2590-2911 • E-ISSN: 2590-2911 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.ssaho.2026.102527 |
| OpenAlex | W7127408649 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 16 |
This study provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of the life-death antinomy within the cultural and linguistic contexts of Kyrgyz and Chinese literature, examining it through the lens of philosophical worldview systems, ethnocultural traditions, and linguistic-cultural patterns. Despite previous research on thanatological themes in each tradition, there is still a significant gap in comparative studies that explicitly contrast these two cultures. Such research is needed to examine how their distinct metaphorical systems and narrative structures encode fundamentally different ontologies of existence. The research methodology integrates hermeneutic, phenomenological, structural-semiotic, and comparative approaches, enabling the identification of profound mechanisms for conceptualising existential categories across different cultural paradigms. Using works of literature from the 20th and 21st centuries, the transformation of archetypal conceptions of life and death in the context of modernisation within traditional societies is traced. It is established that a cyclical model of interpreting life and death prevails in the Kyrgyz literary tradition, shaped by nomadic culture and epic heritage, and is particularly evident in the genre of koshok (funerary laments). In Chinese literature, there is a syncretic blend of Daoist yin-yang dialectics, the Buddhist concept of samsara, and Confucian ethics in artistic interpretations of existential and thanatological themes. Linguocultural analysis has allowed for the identification of key conceptual metaphors and semantic fields through which the life-death antinomy is expressed within both literary traditions. The study demonstrates that Kyrgyz literature employs metaphors of preservation and inheritance (кан (blood), sөөk (bone), тамыр (root)) organised within cyclical temporality emphasising generational continuity, while Chinese literature deploys metaphors of transformation and transition (化蝶 (metamorphosis), 水 (water), 镜 (mirror)) structured through dialectical past-present interaction and karmic cycles. Shared archetypal structures and ethno-specific modifications in the artistic representation of this binary opposition have been identified, and shaped by distinctive features of national mentality and historical-cultural development. Particular attention is devoted to analysing the transformation of traditional thanatological motifs in the context of 20th-century sociocultural changes, revealing the dynamics of the worldview paradigms in the cultures studied. The study reveals the unique artistic conceptualisation of liminal states between life and death, reflecting complex interactions between archaic beliefs and modern philosophical concepts. Based on this research, a theoretical model for the comparative analysis of existential categories across cultural traditions has been developed, which may be applied to the study of other binary oppositions
Ambiguity · Antinomy · Buddhism · Chinese literature · Existentialism · Metaphor · Modernization theory · Narrative · Temporality · China's Ethnic Minorities and Relations · Linguistics and Cultural Studies · Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
| Highly cited | No |
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