РЕПРЕЗЕНТАЦИЯ КОНЦЕПТОВ ФРАЗЕОЛОГИЗМАМИ С ОНИМАМИ В АНГЛИЙСКОМ ЯЗЫКЕ

Introduction

The surrounding reality receives its refraction in our consciousness in the form of concepts, which are represented at the linguistic level in the form of linguistic units. Concept is “the basic unit of a person's mental code" [5, P. 257]. It can be verbalized not only by words, but also by phraseological units (PU). “The nature of the meaning of a PU is closely connected with the background knowledge of a native speaker, with the practical experience of an individual, with the cultural and historical traditions of the people who speak this language" [6, P. 176]. A PU condenses information about the national and cultural characteristics of a particular ethnic group. In the process of categorizing the surrounding reality, “cognitive knowledge is enriched with linguistic, the indirect form of expression of which is phraseological meanings" [4, P. 211]. The cognitive contexts in which phraseological units comprehended are very diverse. The multidimensional nature of knowledge allows us to talk about its special format; this is the knowledge of a matrix format, that is, a system of interrelated cognitive contexts [2, P. 53].

“Naming cognizable situations, phraseology, on the one hand, takes in and captures in its meanings the generalized experience of cognitive development of reality, and on the other – it introduces language signs into the established language relations" [1, P. 79], verbalizing concepts. An important feature of the phraseological verbalization of a concept with onyms is its multi-level nature. Following Y.S. Stepanov [3, P. 75] we think, that a concept actualized by a PU has: 1. an "active layer", 2. a "passive" layer or a historical and cultural layer, 3. the layer connected with an internal form or etymology. In the "active" layer of a concept, knowledge understandable to all native speakers is actualized. The "passive" layer contains additional knowledge about concepts, considered in a diachronic aspect. The layer connected with etymology highlights the "original essence" which underlies the basis of phraseological units. Thus, a concept is structured, being a complex multi-layered phenomenon. We suggest, that taking into consideration the structure of a concept, as well as the features of a PU as one of the language signs that verbalizes the concept, conceptual processes can be considered at the level of: 1. knowledge underlying the onyms` components in PUs (a first-level conceptualization); 2. knowledge about the structures that form the “original essence” or inner form of PUs (a second-level conceptualization); 3. knowledge encoded in the actual meanings of PUs (a third-level conceptualization).

It is evident that conceptual structures containing multidimensional knowledge has a multi-level nature and at the language level they can be represented by PUs with onyms. It should be noted that by onyms we mean proper names used as common nouns. There are many varieties of onyms: mythonyms, zoonyms, toponyms, but in this paper we consider the anthroponyms, since the analysis of the actual material showed that they are the most recurrent group. Taking into consideration the fact, that anthroponyms are precedent texts, that is, they appeal to well-known characters, prototypical situations [7, P. 130], the object of the study is a PU with onyms, the subject is their conceptualization. The material for the study includes 253 units, compiled by the method of continuous scanning of the phraseological dictionaries.

Methods

According to the goals and objectives of the study, the following methods were used: conceptual and etymological analyses.

Results

The results of the conceptual analysis of PUs with onyms showed that a first-level conceptualization is connected with the knowledge underlying the onyms` components in PUs. It can be illustrated by the following PUs: Tom fool, Tom Tailor, Tom Thumb, Peeping Thomas, nervous Nellie, Jack the Lad, clever Dick, smart Aleck, Billy – no friends, Johnny-come-lately.  It follows from above examples that this group of PUs contains onyms of folk origin, the meanings of these PUs are evident without any etymological analysis: they have sheer inner forms. The onyms` adjacent components give a semantic “charge” to the whole PU, actualizing multidimensional knowledge. Thus, PUs with onyms, imbued with cultural meanings, can represent concepts by themselves as they are precedent: native speakers have certain associations with them. Another group of PUs with onyms illustrates second-level conceptual structures forming the basis of the secondary nomination signs. This group can be illustrated with PUs which onyms` components go back to real historical folk prototypes: Hobson`s choice, Real McCoy, Tom o`Bedlam. In these PUs such as Hobson`s choice etymological analysis helps to reveal the origin of proper names. The actual meaning of the PU “forced choice, lack of choice”. It goes back to a certain Hobson, the owner of a paid stable in Cambridge in the XVI century, who obliged his clients to take only the horse closest to the exit [10]. In these PUs a second-level conceptualization takes place since the etymological analysis highlights the knowledge of the structures that form the internal form of the PU.

A third-level conceptualization is typical for the PUs which have an onym component representing a historical or a literary hero (an eponym): Cordelia's gift, Darby and Joan, the Admirable Crichton, the thread of Ariadne`s, Promethean fire, Adam`s ale. To clarify it we can give an example: what will Mrs. Grundy say? A precedent onym “Mrs. Grundy” actualizes the knowledge of the first level: “a hypocrite”. At the second level of conceptualization the knowledge of the “original essence” can be represented. The etymological analysis spotlights on the inner form of the PU – “a literary hero”. Mrs. Grundy-never appearing on the stage character of the comedy T. Morton (Th. Morton, 1769-1838) “Speed the Plough” – the embodiment of walking morality” [8]; This PU can be conceptualized at the third-level as it reveals the knowledge encoded in the actual meaning of the PU “what will people say?” Another example the thread of Ariadne`s goes back to Greek mythology. At the first level of PU conceptualization, the name Ariadne of the mythological character is highlighted, the knowledge of the second level is connected with PU`s internal form “daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë: she gave Theseus the thread with which he found his way out of the Minotaur's labyrinth” [9], at the third level of PU conceptualization an idea of an actual meaning” the guiding thread” is objectivized.

Proper names Adam and Eve in the PU when Adam delved and Eve span who was then a gentleman? actualize the idea of  the progenitors of humanity at the first level of conceptualization. A second-level conceptualization is verbalized with compound nomination “when Adam delved and Eve span” representing an inner form of a “distant past”. At the third level additional conceptual features of the PU are objectivized as it was “one of the slogans of the peasants War of 1381, attributed to Monk John Ball who was Wat Tyler's supporter"[8]. The whole PU verbalizes forth-level conceptual processes in modern language; it is used ironically about a person who boasts of his origin.

Conclusion

Generally speaking, the cognitive contexts in which comprehension takes place are diverse and can be represented as components of a matrix providing access to different layers of knowledge. Analyzing 253 phraseological units and cognitive structures underlying them, the author differentiates four groups of PU with onyms which, can be considered at different levels of conceptualization. The first group of PUs with onyms is distinguished on the basis of a separate onyms components` ability to verbalize separate concepts at the first level of conceptualization. These precedent onyms are of folk origin with obscure etymology but understandable to all native speakers. The second group is represented with PUs which onym components go back to real historical folk prototypes, etymological analysis reveals their “original essence”. At the second level of conceptualization the knowledge about the structures that form the internal form of these PUs is actualized. A third-level conceptualization is typical for the third group of PUs which has an onym component representing a historical or a literary hero. At this level of conceptualization the knowledge encoded in actual meanings of PUs is objectivized. In conclusion, it should be noted that the research perspective represents the fourth group of onyms, not so recurrent, but containing intertextual components producing intertextual concepts.

To sum it up, it should be mentioned that the study of concepts` representation by PU with onyms as a matrix format of knowledge helps to investigate different layers of culture and to differentiate additional conceptual features clarifying unique historico-cultural peculiarities.