Types of play behavior in the expression of the category of relations in the English and Italian languages

Abstract

The article offers a comparative analysis of the semantic and pragmatic characteristics of the types of play relations in the linguistic world view of non-closely related languages. It involves identifying similarities and differences in the play expression of the category of relations in English and Italian languages. The purpose of the study is a more detailed understanding of the category of relations in the behavioral aspect based on lexemes expressing the concept of play in unrelated languages. The relevance and theoretical novelty of the linguistic analysis of play relations is due to the lack of comparative studies on this issue based on the material of the Italian and English languages in the behavioral aspect. We introduce the concept of observer: the subject of perception and interpretation (ObserverP) and the subject of perception (ObserverA), as an interpreter of types of play relations as a linguistic research tool. The result of the study of the types of play relations is the analysis of lexical units as markers of play behavior in the semiotic and axiological aspects. Analysis of the definitions of lexemes of the compared languages, recorded in dictionaries, showed that, depending on the type of play relations, certain differences appear in the axiological aspect, and, subsequently, manifest themselves in the contexts. In Italian language, a negative assessment is much less common than a positive one when deciphering the semiotics of play behavior. In English language, playful relations reflect the intentions of transferring real behavioural actions into the play; in Italian language, they embellish real behavioral actions. A comparative analysis of language material makes it possible to clearly identify and demonstrate similarities and differences in the understanding and expression of play behavior using material of non-closely related languages.