Etymological analysis as a method of comparative analysis of a concept

This article discusses the use of the etymological method in a comparative study of the concept. Using the example of the word-name of the concept “grief/痛苦” in Russian and Chinese, the article reveals their unique development paths in the respective languages through a detailed study of the historical evolution, semantic expansion and cultural connotations of these two words. Through etymological analysis, we deepen our understanding of “grief” and “痛苦” in two languages and present a cross-cultural perspective on the concept.