UDC

811.161.1’37+81:39

DOI

10.37482/2687-1505-V101

Authors

Larisa I. Zhukovskaya
National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod; prosp. Gagarina 23, Nizhniy Novgorod, 603950, Russian Federation; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2044-1829 e-mail: lara_nn@mail.ru

Abstract

This article presents a new stage of the research project on the frontal analysis of conditions and results of contextual actualization of lexemes representing the Russian concept MENTALITET/MENTAL’NOST’ (‘MENTALITY’). Here, the author studied the word mentalitet (‘mentality’) in non-usual subject-predicate combinations. The aim was to analyse semantic transformations of the lexeme mentalitet in the conceptual metaphorical models of reification and animation. L.O. Cherneiko’s method of cognitive interpretation of abstract words and the method of conceptual analysis elaborated by Nizhny Novgorod Conceptological School were applied in the paper. For material the author turned to the Russian National Corpus. The scientific value of the article consists in introducing a new aspect of conceptual analysis, i.e. conceptual metaphorical transformations of the word mentalitet in subject-predicate combinations. The key findings are as follows: 1) in the contexts of conceptual metaphorical reification, the lexeme mentalitet is interpreted as a sensually perceived object: a concrete thing, device, mechanism, material (substance); 2) in the contexts of conceptual metaphorical animation, mentalitet is perceived as a living, rationally and efficiently acting being endowed with consciousness, emotions and will. The author comes to the conclusion that this borrowed abstract concept has been to a large extent appropriated by the Russian linguistic worldview. The paper makes a sufficient contribution to contemporary cognitively oriented linguoculturological research strategies as well as to the theory and practice of conceptual analysis. The practical value of the article lies in the opportunity to use its main results in journalism and PR projects, as well as in compiling a new type of concept dictionaries and in linguistic examination of media texts.

For citation: Zhukovskaya L.I. Semantic Transformations of the Lexeme mentalitet (‘Mentality’) in the Metaphorical Models of the Subject-Predicate Relationship. Vestnik Severnogo (Arkticheskogo) federal’nogo universiteta. Ser.: Gumanitarnye i sotsial’nye nauki, 2021, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 37–46. DOI: 10.37482/2687-1505-V101

Keywords

lexeme mentalitet (‘mentality’), concept MENTALITET/MENTAL’NOST’ (‘MENTALITY’), semantic transformations, subject-predicate combinations, conceptual metaphor models, reification, animation, Russian linguistic worldview

References

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