LEXICOGRAPHIC PROCESSING OF CONCEPT ДРУГ/FRIEND

Abstract

The article deals with cognitive studies dealing with the problems of categorization of the surrounding reality and the objectification of knowledge using language units. The problem of understanding linguistic units as structures of knowl­edge representation is relevant, since the set of concepts can be used to judge the mental model of reality reflected in the language in general and in the linguistic consciousness of specific native speakers, in particular. As a research object, the concept ДРУГ/FRIEND was chosen in terms of vocabulary processing.

The work uses comparative and descriptive methods. With the help of lexicographic processing, which covers various types of dictionaries, common and different features in the understanding of the chosen concept by Russians and Eng­lishmen are fixed.

The definitions of the words ДРУГ/FRIEND in explanatory, etymological, word-formation, synonymic, antonymic dic­tionaries, dictionaries of lexical compatibility of the Russian and English languages are compared.

As a result of the vocabulary processing of the concept ДРУГ/FRIEND, it was possible to establish that the main dif­ference in the understanding of the concept ДРУГ/FRIEND in Russian and English-language dictionaries is as follows. In English, the concept represented by the word FRIEND does not contain the component “spiritual intimacy”, which is important for the Russian language.

Instead, to define the word FRIEND, words are sometimes used that are associated with intimate, love relationships. This difference is due to the etymology of words. In both languages, the concept FRIEND is represented by rather large word-formation nests. Thus, this concept is firmly fixed in the minds of the speakers of Russian and English languages and is of great importance in their language consciousness. English language demonstrates a more diverse set of synonyms and antonyms of the concept FRIEND than Russian. This is explained by the wide range of meanings of the word FRIEND and the extralinguistic factors.

Lexicographic treatment of the concept ДРУГ/FRIEND demonstrates that there are common and distinct features in the concept understanding. The main difference is that in English the concept represented by the word FRIEND does not contain the component “spiritual intimacy”, which is important for the Russian language. Instead, for the definition of the word FRIEND, “love affair” is of particular importance. This difference is due to the etymology of words. In both languages, the concept FRIEND is represented by rather large word