Abstract
The research paper discusses the symbolic meanings of number and quantity in Kazakh riddles. The relevance of the research topic is determined by the study of the numerical code in Kazakh riddles as a linguocultural phenomenon. The purpose of the work is to describe in linguistic terms the features of the numerical code of the riddle in quantitative and ordinal numerals, the categories of the number of specific names, nouns used with small numerals (1,2,3,4,5), numerals denoting parts of the human body. The methods of coding in the first part of the riddle and the ways of representing the denotation in the guess are described. The analysis of the material shows that in the riddles there are usages of numerals that denote the quantitative characteristics of the denotation in the guess. The paper provides examples illustrating the use of numerals in Kazakh riddles, which reflect the universality of counting – animate and inanimate objects, luminaries, time, and space. Special attention is paid to the description of the numerical code in riddles, denoting somatisms that express a person's verbal experience and serve as a means of cognition of the surrounding world and interaction with it. The figurative semantics of somatisms is transmitted through personification and associations with fairytale characters – birds and animals.