Colour symbolism is reflected in a unique phenomenon of Kazakh musical culture – the “qonyr-dauys”. The timbre of the voice and the dombra, referred to as qonyr, is not included in the classical European definition of timbre. The direct meaning of the lexeme qonyr is brown. “Qonyr” as a polysemantic term combines the musical and aesthetic ideas of sound (tone, voice), hearing (“pleasing to the ear”), and colour (brown) [18, p. 161]. Qonyr dauys is a specific timbre rich in overtones that only a low voice can have [4, p. 15].
On the metaphysical (cultural-philosophical) level, qonyr is a polysemous word implying the spirit of traditional Kazakh culture [7, p. 67]. In singing culture, qonyr is a soft, calm, beautiful voice (often male) and a steady melody. The colour brown is said to describe soft tones, warmth, friendliness, and charm. Kazakhs use this colour when they want to emphasise the particular softness and pleasantness of what is being described: a light breeze that softens the heat, a soft and warm night, a pleasant autumn, etc. The pleasant sound of the dombra or kobyz, the soft timbre of a singer’s voice, lyrical songs are invariably painted in brown by Kazakhs [8, p. 33]. This understanding of brown goes back to archaic ideas of Tengrians, in which a deep voice itself could be considered as a magical “text” originating from the practise of incantations, incantations, etc.
