Verbal Means Expressing the Compehension of “Invisible” in Hagiographic Texts of the 20 th – 21 th Centuries

Abstract

The article focuses on the potential of perception verb usage for creating the images of saints and godliness devotees. An integrated approach was applied to studying hagiographic texts of the 20 th – 21 st centuries, which comprise the research material. Special attention is paid to the verbs that directly nominate the process of obtaining information about the surrounding world (exteroceptive sensations). The analysis also involves the verbs that are etymologically related to the verbs of perception. The author introduces the structure of meaning of the verbs denoting perception and their corresponding subdivision into subgroups. The verbs employed in the description of the saints' and ascetics' abilities to comprehend the world intuitively, to foresee the forthcoming events in the lives of people, country, and the Church are analyzed, the peculiarities of their use are revealed. The subgroups of verbs denoting these processes in the studied texts have been identified. The contextually stipulated changes in the meanings of verbs are characterized. Lexicographic sources have been used to determine the meanings, which are actualized in the texts, and those not recorded in the dictionaries. The impressive semantic potential of the analyzed verbs is demonstrated. This makes it possible to use them for nominating the outstanding abilities of saints and ascetics, which distinguish them from ordinary people.