Representation of concepts big brother / little sister in the Yakut heroic epic

Purpose. The article discusses the concepts of BIG BROTHER / LITTLE SISTER (UBAY / BALYS) in order to identify the features of representation of these concepts in the Yakut heroic epic olonkho and to establish the semantic content of these concepts, to determine their cultural and national specifics. Because, firstly, in a traditional family, as a unit of society, the relations of children are of great importance, as blood relatives they are the successors of the clan. Secondly, despite the global technocratic development, interest in and appeal to traditional values is growing in society, because family ties and family relations form self-organization and self-regulation of a person in society. Thirdly, due to the lack of study of these concepts in the Yakut epic texts.Results. Within the framework of the conceptual analysis, the method of continuous sampling was used to collect examples from epic texts; component analysis to characterize the conceptual constituent of the word; a method of contextual analysis which provides an opportunity to identify different meanings and shades of meanings of the studied concepts in the context of epic texts. In the examples considered, the lexemes ubay and balys and their various detonates represent their dictionary definitions, that is they designate an elder man relative and a younger woman relative.Conclusion. The result of the performed analysis shows that the concepts of BIG BROTHER / LITTLE SISTER are represented in the olonkho texts by various lexemes and phrases that have deep connotative meanings and reflect traditional family relationships between elder brothers and younger sisters among the Yakut people.