Semantic Interpretation of English Nouns Referring to Units of Time

Abstract

The paper deals with the semantics of English nouns integrating a time component basing on respected English-language dictionaries. The timeliness of the topic under consideration is substantiated in terms of interaction and interconnection of the language and culture and is proved to be one of the major problems of the cognitive linguistics. The nouns possessing the semantic feature of “time” in their meaning have been revealed and analyzed. The culture, customs and traditions of different nations are pointed out to influence directly the formation of the language worldview which is expressed in the meanings being different from each other. Nominal groups of time semantics are shown to be characterized by sufficient amount of possibilities to express time meanings. A group of nouns in the English language has been proved to represent a single semantic structure of the lexical item of time. This lexical item is classifiable and can be identified from personal acquisition. The results of the investigation are theoretically significant covering the general doctrine of words and their semantic structure. The results, in particular, indicate that a considerably greater number of semantic features is available in the peripheral sphere of a noun meaning than it was used to be believed, the same being true of the prototype nature of these very features. All these factors are of apparent interest concerning any investigation in the field of cognitive science. Practical importance of the work consists in the possibility to use the results of the investigation in the English language practical training, in the lecture courses dealing with lexical semantics, cognitive linguistics, while compiling educational books, instructing on term papers and undergraduate theses.