Linguistic and cultural analysis of conditronyms in French, Italian and Russian

Aim. In modern linguistic literature, confectionery names and dessert names are often used interchangeably. To eliminate the widespread absolute synonymy of these concepts, it became necessary to distinguish between these terms, clarify the definition of the term conditeronym, and expand the conceptual apparatus of gastronomic vocabulary with the new term dessertonym, as well as develop its definition. Studying the corpus of research material requires establishing the relationships between conditeronym (confectionery names) and dessertonym (dessert names) and tracing the development of hyper‑hyponymic relationships between them. Using the French, Italian, and Russian confectionery names pain d'épice, panforte, and “pryanik” as examples, the factors determining their linguacultural status in three linguacultures with diverse language structures are revealed for the first time.

Methodology. To achieve this goal, a wide range of research methods are employed: etymological analysis, componential analysis, word‑formation and word‑production analysis, dictionary definitions, and linguacultural analysis. Etymological analysis of the concepts of conditeronym and dessertonym refutes the view that these terms are absolutely synonymous. The use of dictionary definitions and componential (semen) analysis allows us to identify the core semes of conditeronyms. A comparative analysis of the actualization of the core, differential, and potential semes of conditeronyms and dessertonyms reveals their hierarchical relationships. Word‑formation and word‑production analysis are used to identify the methods of conditeronym and dessertonym formation.

Results. The necessity of introducing the concept of desertonym is demonstrated, and a demarcation line is drawn between the terms desertonym and conditeronym.

Research implications. The theoretical significance of the study lies in its clarification of the conceptual framework of linguacultural studies and its fundamental unit, the linguacultureme. Using conditeronym linguaculturemes in French, Italian, and Russian as examples, it is demonstrated that monoculturalism is the primary distinguishing feature of linguacultures in any linguaculture. The practical value lies in the fact that the results obtained from the presented illustrative material can serve as a basis for further research on other linguacultures and will be useful for the lexicographic description of conditeronyms and dessertonyms in both monolingual and multilingual dictionaries.

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