Etnolingwistyczna analiza leksemów koloru niebieskiego w językach polskim i włoskim w ujęciu diachronicznym i synchronicznym

This work focuses on the significance of the colour blue in the culture and history of two nations (Polish, beginning with the times of the Slavs who used to inhabit the present-day territories of Poland, and Italian, from the period of the Roman Empire) by means of studying the symbolism of colour in Christianity. This part of the work also includes a diachronic analysis of the condition of language and semantics associated with niebieski and azzurro. Moreover, Polish and Italian toponyms connected with colours, as well as an analysis of myths, legends and old sayings provide much information, which makes it possible to determine which colours were most significant in ancient times. Red (porpora) was the dominating colour for the Romans, while for the Slavs – according to many myths and tales – the dominating colour was (surprisingly) blue (siny – a lexeme which in present-day Polish has been degraded to a colour referring to somatic features). Blue (caeruleus and its hues) was completely spurned by the Romans and associated with strangeness or envy.