This paper aims to identify and describe the semantic and ethnocultural content of substantive derivatives extracted from the corresponding word-formation nests of the Russian and Tatar languages. The characteristics of the ways of lexicalization of related processes and features are essential for both lexical typology and ethnolinguistics. In the derivation-semantic space of auditory perception verbs, lexical units that have a peculiar semantic content are identified. These are first of all names of persons, specific objects, and abstract concepts, which their internal form and lexical meaning determine ethnocultural specificity. Comparison of derived substances that are directly or indirectly related to the process of auditory perception reveals certain conceptual areas and national-cultural meanings that form the language picture of the world and the mentality of each of the ethnic groups. It is proved that the ethnocultural component in the semantic structure of the studied words is also revealed within the same language: when comparing the diachronically marked and modern vocabulary.