Representation of the ancient myth in the nomination of medicinal plants

Abstract

Aim. To describe the semiotic and conceptual parameters of the ancient myth represented in the nomination of a medicinal plant.

Methodology. The main way of using ancient mythonyms in the secondary nomination in the process of reference is described in the paper. The essential properties of the initial referent are identified and transferred to the object of the secondary nomination (in our case, the name of a medicinal plant). The process of reference between a new common meaning of the word and the image of an anthropomorphic ancient god or hero is traced. It is noted that the name taken from mythology in the nomination of a medicinal plant represents the plot of the myth with the help of various motivational features that can be interpreted by the recipient on the basis of extralinguistic knowledge or various associations. The semiotic analysis, semantic analysis and linguocultural analysis were used in the work.

Results. It is shown that various types of mythonyms are involved into the process the mythologeme semiotization (the plot of the ancient myth), thus creating an objective idea of the corresponding precedent phenomenon, which is activated in the medicinal plant nomination. At the same time ancient mythonyms participate in the secondary nomination, that is, in the process of reference of the actualized names to the objects of reality (in our case, to the name of a medicinal plant). It is concluded that mythonym as an anthroponymic code of culture is involved in the semiotization of the mythologeme in the nomination of a medicinal plant.

Research implications. The results of the research contribute to the study of the ancient myth specifics as part of the linguistic picture of the world, which consists in representation of a certain fragment of culture through the nomination of a medicinal plant.