Лингвоспецифические концепты как фактор образования вариантов английского языка

Вестник Московского университета. Серия 19: Лингвистика и межкультурная коммуникация. 2018. № 1. С. 80–86.

Семенова А. В.

Language-specific concepts are considered to be units of thinking. They are culturally bound units, because language, culture and thinking are closely interconnected and exercise mutual influence on each other. It is shown in the present paper that even “primitive” concepts that exist in the majority of cultures of the world according to A. Wierzbicka can differ a lot from one another in different languages. The article under consideration touches upon not only pure semantic side, i.e. connotations and nuances of meaning of primitive concepts, but also the grammatical environment of the lexical items that denote particular concepts. The most important point in this case is that together both of the above mentioned features of language-specific concepts lead to a variety formation, upon condition that a number of languages are in contact with each other when communication between speakers takes place. The present article examines this issue on the example of such concepts as truth/verity and “pravda/istina” (Russian for truth/verity) and suggests that even simple language-specific concepts demonstrate differences in use and in meaning depending on languages. It becomes particularly clear when a native and non-native speakers of English communicate with each other that concepts become a source of variety formation. Therefore, the idea of Russian variety of English (or any other variety of English) receives some arguments pro and not contra. 

Keywords: контактная вариантология английского языка, World Englishes Paradigm