TERMS DERIVED FROM THE STEM CONCEPTIN V. V. KOLESOV’S COGNITIVE METAPHORS

Abstract

In this article we discuss cognitive metaphors related to the conceptual field of language, as represented in V. V. Kolesov’s heritage, particularly in his theory of concepts. Initial data were collected from Kolesov’s scholarly researches and nonfiction books published in the last 20 years (2001–2021). In arranging the data we considered such factors as the character of metaphorical expressions, as well as the internal connection between the source and goal areas. Our article is probably the first to tackle the structure of V. V. Kolesov’s cognitive metaphors impicitly underlying the basic terms of conceptology, such as “concept”, “conceptum”, “idea” (Russian kontsept, kontseptum, contseptsiya respectively). The background agaist which these metaphors are demonstrated, is formed by the scholar’s metaphoric ideas of various language phenomena. We also determine the peculiarities of the metaphoric way of defining terms, as well as its place among other definition types. Sometimes metaphorical expressions are used as terms (cf. “conceptum” vs “the grain of primordial sense”), but more often is the situation when they are included into the structure of definitions. Whenever “conceptum” is described using the method of semantic constants, metaphors are primarily concentrated in such parts as “base” and “conditions”. The number of metaphors grow if a notion is relatively new and if the metatext underlying the constant is of metaphoric nature. We can attest multiple metaphors pertaining to linguistic and cognitive phenomena, which differ as to their topics, structure and implementation range. Metaphorical models are used to describe both objects related to language as a whole, and those related to its elements, segmental and suprasegmental units, basic language concepts, language rules and processes. Our corpus of metaphorical models includes vital, anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, phytomorphic, physical, objective and other metaphors. We can single out the most common of them, namely “language as a human being”, “language as a plant”, “language as an object” and “language as material”. It can be claimed without doubt that metaphorical expressions are inseparable part of V. V. Kolesov’s scholarly style. Refs 11.