CONNOTATIVE MEANINGS OF THE SERBIAN BASIC COLOUR TERMS SIVA (GREY) AND RUŽIČASTA OR ROZE/A (PINK) FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF INTRA-COLOUR ANTONYMY

Abstract

Following Almalech (2014: 748), certain basic colour terms (BCTs) display intra-colour antonymy and can have opposite meanings. It is demonstrated by the Serbian colour adjectives siva; grey, and ružičasta or roze/roza; pink, both of which are also the BCTs. In the Serbian cultural and linguistic setting, siva is the colour with predominantly negative connotative meanings. Opposed to this ružičasta or roze/roza are both attributed predominantly positive connotative meanings. Nevertheless, siva has also some positive connotative meanings, and a number of negative connotations are attributed to ružičasta and roze/a. This invalidates the either-or semantics of the Serbian BCTs (the most obvious examples of such a classification being the colours bela; white, which is typically associated with purity, innocence, goodness, heaven, brilliance, etc., and crna; black, which is commonly attributed the meaning of death, evil, fear, aggression, etc.).