Лингвокультурные универсалии как доминирующий фактор восприятия мемов

Abstract

The current study discusses the meme as a polycode text from the standpoint of linguoculturology. Based on the theories on exististing congruent cultural universals and divergent linguoculturemes, in the present paper a classification of memes is offered. It suggests to differentiate between three types of both the visual and verbal components of the meme: congruent, divergent or lacunary. Validity of the elaborated classification is evidenced using the results of the study investigating the way Russian and Chinese COVID-19 Internet memes may be perceived by Russian and Chinese recipients. The conclusion to be drawn is that congruent visual component allows for a more profound understanding of the meme by representatives of a different culture; at that, the verbal component might be either congruent, or divergent, or lacunary. On the contrary, the models including a divergent or lacunary visual component cannot be properly perceived by other cultures, irrespective of the type of the visual component.