Semantic Transformations of the Lexeme Икона in the Russian Language of the Newest Period

Abstract

The study focuses on the analysis of semantic changes of the lexeme икона , considered in a synchronous-diachronic perspective. The relevance of the study is determined by its implementation in an interdisciplinary, linguo-philosophical, as well as a contrastive, Russian-English paradigm. This ensures the objectivity of conclusions about the causes and consequences of neosemantization of the word икона in modern Russian. Proceeding from the study of lexicographic data, illustrative material of the National Corpus of the Russian Language and open Internet resources, it is proved that the emergence of new lexical-semantic variants of the noun икона is the result of semantic borrowings from the English language. The appearance in the English word icon of terminological meanings relating to the field of semiotics and computer technology is based on the concretization of the primary meaning “image, likeness”, in which it was borrowed from the Greek language. The emergence of a new lexical-semantic variant “idol, idol of the masses” in the semantic structure of the word icon is based on the actualization of the potential seme “symbol”. The use of this meaning in relation to various celebrities of pop culture leads to the positioning of icons of style, fashion and sex symbols at the highest levels of the value hierarchy of the consumer society. Anglo-American linguoconcepts penetrate into the modern Russian language as a result of calquing the lexical units from English-language publications. Despite the functioning of the lexical units икона стиля, моды, фэшн-икона and the word икона in the meaning of a religious artifact in different types of discourses, the presence of a common seme «object of worship» causes their semantic diffusion. The parallel use of the word икона in relation to diametrically opposed objects of sacralisation leads to a linguoaxiological clash of “own” and “strange” spheres. The result of this collision is the desacralisation of the concept икона in the national language consciousness.

Keywords

• icon
• icon of style
• desacralization
• semantic borrowing
• semantic derivation
• neosemantization
• anglosemantisms