Abstract
The article reveals the mechanism of word formation in the Turkic languages in a comparative aspect by considering the Kazakh and Altai languages. Their genetic closeness determines the similarity in the organization of color naming systems due to their common historical roots. However, this closeness does not deny the differences that arose during their independent cultural and historical development. The morphological method is basic in the word formation process of color designations of the languages under study. A number of parametric values are formed, in particular, the sufficiency or insufficiency of color, the degree of color intensity and saturation (high or low), and the gradation of features. The word formation mechanism also includes compounding and reduplication (full and partial), syntactic and comparative constructions. Each of the methods is intended to express specific semantics, with the morphological expressing a weak degree, reduplication demonstrating high-degree features, and compounding designating mixed colors. The word-formation analysis of color designation allows a conclusion to be drawn that the Kazakh and Altai languages possess a significant potential for expanding and enriching the lexical-semantic group of color designations.