Comparative study of phraseological units with the components “cock” and “hen” in Swedish and Russian

Abstract

The article discusses different types of evaluation demonstrated by comparative phraseological units with the components “cock” and “hen” in Swedish and Russian. Evaluation is one of the important linguistic categories associated with categories such as value and significance, which together make it possible to judge the mentality of a native speaker. The composition, semantics and functioning of phraseological units of the two languages are analysed. The material for the study is sourced from lexicographical works and the national corpora of the Russian and Swedish languages. It is concluded that in comparative phraseological units of the Swedish and Russian languages with the components “cock” and “hen” contain emotional rather than rational evaluativeness. The range of evaluative meanings of Swedish phraseological units is narrower than the corresponding spectrum of Russian units. Swedish units characterize only human behavior, and ethical evaluativeness in them prevails over aesthetic evaluativeness. Common to the two linguistic cultures are ideas about the cock as a pugnacious and cocky bird. Swedish does not use descriptions equivalent to the Russian like a plucked cock or dressing up like a cock. Swedish comparisons with the hen component, which were once gender-marked, are steadily moving toward gender neutrality, and the corresponding Russian units, representing a stupid and fussy woman, retain a vivid gender relation. The predominance of pejorative evaluation in two languages is probably due to the fact that chickens have always been available for close observation. Noting their appearance and behaviour, people never saw any positive qualities in them, probably aware of their utilitarian purpose.