Somatism "head" in the Even language

Terms denoting human body parts form one of the most archaic lexical layers, closely linked to sensory-functional aspects of human existence. They reflect anthropo-cultural specifics of representatives of various linguistic communities. This lexical group is called somatic – it characterizes human body elements and organism functions – and represents one of the most attractive lexical-semantic categories of Tungusic-Manchu languages. Somatic vocabulary is part of the basic dictionary stock formed over millennia, expressing not only the speakers' knowledge of the surrounding world but also their self-understanding and perception of their own body. Small aphoristic forms of Even folklore – riddles, prohibition-talismans, omens – attracted less researcher attention in past decades than prose narrative genres. Records of Even riddles from the 1860s and 1930s–1950s fell out of scientific analysis for a long time, and later editions included few new samples. Additionally, different aphoristic genres of Even folklore received unequal study: riddles, proverbs, customs were used for teaching children their native language and ethnic culture immersion, while prohibitions-talismans and omens, persisting among Evens today, remained little-known and became subjects of systematic collection only recently. The lexeme "head" in Even regularly acts as a key folklore component, reflecting traditional somatic concepts. The use of "head – dyl" in Even folklore, especially proverbs, riddles, omens, prohibitions, unites bodily and spiritual personality comprehension, emphasizing body-consciousness-social role links. Such constructions express ethnic identity and traditional body-spirit views. Somatic expressions significantly aid cultural norms and spiritual values transmission through language. The article defines somatisms and details proverbs, prohibitions, omens, riddles with "head" lexeme.