Oppositive Semantics in English and Russian Phraseological Units by the example of PHU with a Semantic Component MAN

Abstract

The article deals with a complex analysis of a phraseological unit (PhU) phenomenon: its linguo-cognitive basis, structural-semantic potential as well as actualization peculiarities in the English and Russian linguo-cultural spaces under the manifestation of a multidimensional oppositive sense through PhUs with a semantic component man . The study establishes that the component exhibits the characteristics of a polysemant in the English language and reconstructs three basic modi of entity: mental-ethical, cognitive-psychological, socio-economic. The semantic component man is less polysemantic in Russian compared to the English equivalent and represents a monolithic spiritual modus. This fundamental difference is caused by the tendency to the ideal interpretation of typically material senses which is specific to the Russian linguoculture. It is revealed that oppositive semantics manifests itself both on the level of internal relations (between the components within a PhU) and on the level of the external ones (with other PhUs) in the two languages. Besides, the main oppositive load is carried out through lexical-grammatical means: antonyms, adversative conjunctions and particles that form symmetrical and asymmetrical contrastives. The study proves that oppositive patterns with a similar structure mark fundamentally different archisemes in English and in Russian, modeling diametrically opposed existential-axiological trajectories (material and ideal correspondingly) in the linguocultures under examination.