The concept of “brother” in Russian language and culture

Abstract

The concept of “brother” is one of the most important in Slavonic languages and cultures and has some specific properties, both linguistic and non-linguistic. The proposed paper is based on the concept of “brother” analysis and presents its evolution in the broader context of Russian culture. The author proposes a cognitive definition of the concept of “brother”, which consists of 14 facets. The concept is universal, with a wide synonymous range and stylistic diversity (from the high style of church sermons to criminal jargon), as well as a high value position (brother and brotherhood are more valuable than any material wealth). The author considers the forced society secularization during the Soviet era, the erosion of family values and life criminalization in the USSR and Russia to be the main reasons for the evolution of the concept.

Keywords

• brother
• concept
• cognitive definition
• folklore
• literature
• culture