LINGUIST List 15.246

Fri Jan 23 2004

Diss: Historical Ling: Kolesnyk: 'Language Means...'

Editor for this issue: Takako Matsui <takolinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Oleksandr S Kolesnyk, Language Means of Reflecting a Mythic Picture...

Institution: Kyiv National Linguistic University
Program: Graduate School
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 2003

Author: Oleksandr S Kolesnyk

Dissertation Title: Language Means of Reflecting a Mythic Picture of
the World in Old English Epic Poems and Modern British Fantasy Novels:
Linguocognitive aspect

Linguistic Field: General Linguistics, Historical Linguistics,
		 Cognitive Science

Subject Language: English (code: ENG)

Dissertation Director 1: Andriy E Levytski

Dissertation Abstract:

The dissertation presents linguistic and cognitive analysis of the
designation units that verbalise the basic concepts of the mythic
conceptual picture of the world in Old English epic poems and modern
British fantasy novels. The results of the research reveal semantic,
structural and pragmatic aspects of secondary designation units'
formation and functioning. The research focuses on the study and
comparative analysis of the nature and mechanisms of mythopoetic
designation in the texts of the two historic periods. Special emphasis
is laid on the mechanisms of creating mythopoetic tropes as the means
of explicating the basic conceptual metaphors of the mythic conceptual
picture of the world. The sets of concepts and corresponding
conceptual metaphors have proved to be virtually the same in the Old
English and modern British mythic pictures of the world. It is
clarified that the myth-motivated designation units in the texts of
the both periods tend to be image-bearing and exceptionally
informative. Their explicit imagery resulted from the interaction of
two logically compatible notions, turns into a linguistically creative
means that allows the modelling of standard social situations in the
inner form of the designation units. The work highlights semantic
correspondences and differences of the analysed units, the patterns of
their components' semantic transformation, patterns and peculiarities
of their structure. 

Key words: inner form, unit of designation,
mythic concept, mythic conceptual picture of the world, language
picture of the world, conceptual metaphor, elliptical
national-cultural text, imagery.