Концепт ДЕНЬГИ/MONEY в структурах разных концептуальных категорий (на материале ассоциативных словарей)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the connections that occur between conceptual categories and between elements of such categories. The authors show the way one concept can be included into several conceptual categories on the basis of similar, identical, or inverse features of a category element and a categorical concept. Russian concept ДЕНЬГИ and American concept MONEY are analyzed with the use of definition and associative dictionaries. That gives the opportunity to trace conceptual features and establish differences in the perception of the two concepts in Russian and American linguocultures. The methods of conceptual and linguocultural analysis are used as well as the methods for studying associative-verbal networks suggested by Yu.N. Karaulov. It was found that such features as is evil, something that is missing, something that is in a large number are specific to the concept ДЕНЬГИ in Russian linguoculture, while bring social and material wellness, kept in bank, can be increased are characteristic of the concept MONEY in American linguoculture. These features help to relate the concepts under study to corresponding conceptual categories. It was proved that the Russian concept is connected to the following categorical concepts: МНОЖЕСТВО (a lot of), ЗЛО (evil), ТРАТА (expenditure), НЕДОСТАТОК (lack of), РАБОТА (work), ЧЕЛОВЕК (human), while American concept is connected to SALARY, JOB, WEALTH, GOLD, PEOPLE. It is also stated that one concept can belong to different conceptual categories, and this unites different categories in native speakers’ consciousness. The study is performed at the intersection of psycholinguistics, cognitive linguistics, and language and cultural studies.