Love as a linguacultural space (on the basis of paroemias in the English, Welsh, Gaelic and Scots languages)

Abstract

The present work explores the feeling of love in linguistic world pictures of different ethnic groups that comprise a single nation. The authors attempted to describe this feeling as a linguacultural space and define its aspects, both universal and nationally specific. The methodology of the research encompassed a comparative method, continuous sampling method, method of structural and semantic analysis and method of contextual analysis. The paper offers the analysis of paroemiological units in English, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Scots languages. Qualitative and quantitative characteristics of representation of the concept of Love were defined. Semantic structure of this word was revealed. There were described nationally specific features of representation of “man’s” matter when structuring Love within the framework of linguistic culture in the linguistic world picture. As the result of the study, a generalized scheme of the linguacultural space of Love is revealed at the level of a nation’s linguistic picture of the world, and the idioethnic one at the level of an individual ethnic group. Certain standards and stereotypes contained in this linguacultural space are distinguished as well.