Conceptosphere Of Yu. Lotman's Academic Linguistic Personality

Abstract

The article considers new perspectives for research into the phenomenon of linguistic personality conditioned by addressing to the description of the key linguistic and cultural concepts of a linguistic personality's concept sphere. From this angle, a particular theoretical and practical importance is attributed to concepts represented in culture-oriented texts. Due to the personality of the author whose professional activities are intimately related with academic discourse texts of this kind possess a high potential of influence on the reader. Linguocultural and linguocognitive text analyses allow to demonstrate the concept sphere of Yu. Lotman (1922–1993) as an academic linguistic personality, an undeniable bearer of the elite type of speech culture. Thus, the concept sphere of the scholar and the discourse of his "Conversations about Russian culture: Household and traditions of Russian noblemen (XVIII - early XIX century)" reflect panhuman ("Life", "Death", "Culture" et al.), nationally oriented ("Rank ", "Russia, Russian People" et al.) and individual ("Europe", "Pushkin") concepts. Active appealing to intertextuality and precedence integrated into text in a variety of ways is a common feature of the representation of the author's key concepts. Yu. Lotman’s personal attitude to cultural facts expressed in conceptualization of particular proper nouns and his strive to bring this attitude to the reader should be acknowledged as one of Yu. Lotman’s linaments as an academic linguistic personality.