Zoonymy, the practice of naming and attributing symbolic meanings to animals, has been a vital aspect of human culture for millennia. In folklore texts, zoonyms, which mean animal names, play a multifaceted role, embodying moral lessons, cultural values, and mythical archetypes. These names are more than mere identifiers; they often symbolize traits, convey allegories, and connect human experiences with the natural world. This article explores how zoonyms are employed in folklore texts and their cultural, symbolic, and literary significance and compares differences between eastern and western foklore texts in terms of using zoonyms.

Zoonym, cultural values, linguistics

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