SEMANTIC RELATION OF MERONYMY IN LANGUAGES OF DIFFERENT STRUCTURE (CASE STUDY OF SEMANTICS OF BODY PART NAMES)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20535/2410-8286.154883

Keywords:

meronymy, meronym, BPN (body part names), semantic change, polysemy, anthropomorphic metaphor, metonymy, semantic universals and regularities

Abstract

The present paper investigates semantics of human body part names (BPN) in languages of different structure. The lexemes under study are characterised by a high level of polysemy, frequent occurrence and primary role in the processes of world perception and categorisation. The empirical data comprise 438 lexemes (expressing 1438 meanings), which were analysed in seven languages of different structure (related and unrelated) from two language families: Indo-European (featuring such language groups as Germanic (English and German), Romance (Spanish), Balto-Slavonic (Latvian, Ukrainian and Russian)) and Japanese-Ryukyuan (featuring Japanese). The data are analysed within the framework of meronymy relation and highlight the universal features of semantic change in the compared languages, thus presenting a model for more extensive and complex studies of the semantic potential of basic lexical units. The research is based upon the methodology of classical semantics and typology as well as contrastive lexical studies, and is aimed at revealing the nature of semantic universals and regularities in the process of BPN semantic development. The lexical units under analysis are generalised and systematically investigated using contrastive analysis and linguistic description, whilst their semantic structure is thoroughly described with the help of componential analysis. The paper focuses on the classification of their regular semantic change mechanisms and juxtaposes the cross-linguistic similarities as well as differences in semantics of body part names. The relation of meronymy reveals interdependence with that of polysemy. The introduced index of polysemy helps to compare the potential for polysemy development in the languages under analysis. The conducted research enables the formulation of semantic universals and regularities within BPN polysemy development in languages of different structure as well as the creation of a semantic typology of BPN in related and unrelated languages. The analysis is supplemented with the statistical data allowing for the verification of the results. The main principles of this research may be applied to different thematic groups of lexis, contributing to further development of semantic language typology worldwide.


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Author Biography

Olena Materynska, Department of Germanic philology and translation,Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Philology

Olena Materynska is Dr. habil., professor at the Department of Germanic philology and translation of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Philology, at the rank of associate professor. Published 3 monographs (among them Typologie der Körperteilbenennungen, 2012, by Peter Lang, Germany (https://doi.org/10.3726/978-3-653-02275-9)) and over 90 articles in Ukraine and abroad. Is the head of the research group at the Department of Germanic Philology and Translation (http://science.univ.kiev.ua/en/researchgroups/research.php?ELEMENT_ID=2796), coordinator of the GIP project between the Ruhr-University in Bochum, Germany and the Institute of Philology at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. 2015 received the grant of Verchovna Rada of Ukraine for young scientists for the achievements in the field of fundamental and applied sciences (for the year 2014). For the last 5 years – the member of the jury at the translation contest at the Institute of Philology of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, member of the Scientific Council К 26.133.08 for PhD. Degree (10.02.04, 10.02.15), Vice President of the Association of Ukrainian Germanists (AUG). Received education at the Donetsk National University, faculty of foreign languages, where she worked till 2014. 2014 till 2015 worked as an associate professor at the department of translation, applied and general linguistics, Kirovohrad State Pedagogical University, Kirovohrad (Ukraine). Won scholarships within the GIP project between the Ruhr-University in Bochum, Germany  and the Institute of Philology at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, supported by DAAD (2018); DAAD Summer School “Perspectives for young researchers in Science and Education”, Essen, Germany; Strasbourg, France (2016); of the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung, Munich, Germany (2011, 2010); at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster within the GIP-partnership, DAAD, Münster, Germany (2009) and others. Is constantly improving professional skills at congresses and conferences in Germany (Munich, Kloster Banz, Münster, Berlin) Poland (Warsaw, Poznan), Belarus (Minsk), Ukraine (Lviv, Kyiv, Chernivtsi, Kirovoghrad, Charkiv, Lutsk).

Scientific interests: lexical studies in the Germanic languages, contrastive and typological research of the lexical semantics.

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Published

2019-07-04

How to Cite

Materynska, O. (2019). SEMANTIC RELATION OF MERONYMY IN LANGUAGES OF DIFFERENT STRUCTURE (CASE STUDY OF SEMANTICS OF BODY PART NAMES). Advanced Education, 6(12), 256–264. https://doi.org/10.20535/2410-8286.154883

Issue

2019: Issue 12

Section

ARTICLES

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