Syncretism of Ancient Concepts Exemplified by the Macroconcept “Earth/Land” (a Review of Motivating and Archaic Conceptual Signs)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37482/2687-1505-V075Keywords:
macroconcept, conceptual signs, semantic components, etymological analysis, syncretism of concepts, English linguoculture, mythological consciousness, conceptualization of earth/landAbstract
This study aimed to determine the motivating and archaic conceptual signs of the macroconcept “earth/land” through data analysis of etymological and historical-etymological dictionaries, as well as to demonstrate the solidity (syncretism) of native Old English speakers’ perception of this macroconcept. Cognitive analysis of linguocultural facts and a profound study of national mentality through language data determine the relevance of this study. The motivating and archaic conceptual signs of the macroconcept “earth/land” have not previously been the subject of a separate research. The main methods applied in the paper are descriptive, conceptual, comparative, and interpretative. The study revealed that the macroconcept “earth/land” has a long history of development. In addition to motivating signs, its structure comprises symbolic signs that go back to ancient mythology. As early as at the beginning of its development, the macroconcept “earth/land” was reflected in native speakers’ consciousness through a large number
of conceptual signs (14 signs are represented by the semantic components of earth and 20 signs are represented by the semantic components of land), suggesting high importance of this macroconcept in English linguoculture. The identified conceptual signs form a rather extensive mental structure, which includes several, inextricably linked, blocks: ‘earth/land-space’, ‘earth/land-substance’, ‘earth/landproperty’, ‘earth/land-people’, ‘earth/land-material world’. The etymological analysis of dictionary definitions of the words earth and land as well as determination of the components of their lexical meaning allow us to demonstrate the diversity of English speakers’ ancient ideas about earth/land and the syncretism of these ideas within mythological consciousness.
For citation: Моshina Е.А. Syncretism of Ancient Concepts Exemplified by the Macroconcept “Earth/Land” (a Review of Motivating and Archaic Conceptual Signs). Vestnik Severnogo (Arkticheskogo) federal’nogo universiteta. Ser.: Gumanitarnye i sotsial’nye nauki, 2021, no. 1, pp. 61–71. DOI: 10.37482/2687-1505-V075
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