Semantics and pragmatics of zoolexemes in the context of ecolinguistics (based on German lexical units with the “schwein” component)
https://doi.org/10.18384/2949-5075-2025-4-93-102
Abstract
Aim. The identifying how human attitudes towards animals, which are an important element of the German value picture of the world, are reflected in the language at the lexical level and form the axiological potential of words.
Methodology. Based on lexicographic sources and texts from the German-language media space, a corpus of empirical material was compiled, including lexical units with the component “SCHWEIN”, and analyzed using the methods of component analysis, discourse analysis and the modeling method.
Results. It has been proven that the anthropocentrism of the language system is manifested in the semantics of words and phraseological units with the component “SCHWEIN”; a model for describing the meaning of zoolexemes has been developed, comprising three components: animalistic, anthroponymic, and a relational component; a systematization of German lexical units with the “SCHWEIN” component based on the content of the identified relationships is proposed, including five groups; it has been established that the direction of the relations – emphasizing the benefit for humans or animals – determines the pragmatic potential of animalistic lexical units.
Research implications of this study lies in the development of animalistic themes within the framework of a new interdisciplinary direction – ecolinguistics. It also contributes to the expansion of existing methods of describing zoolexemes and the application of the developed model to analyze the semantic and pragmatic features of other zoolexemes. In addition, the study enriches our understanding of the German ethnic group's value system.
About the Authors
R. I. Babaeva
Ivanovo State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Raisa I. Babaeva (Ivanovo) – Dr. Sci. (Philology), Prof., Department of Foreign Philology of the Institute of Humanities
K. V. Metelkova
Ivanovo State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Klementina V. Metelkova (Ivanovo) – Postgraduate student, Department of Foreign Philology of the Institute of Humanities
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