LINGUIST List 15.246

Fri Jan 23 2004

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

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


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

    Message 1: Language Means of Reflecting a Mythic Picture...

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 12:44:03 -0500 (EST)
    From: Oleksandr S Kolesnyk <lindenwielderukr.net>
    Subject: 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.