TEMPORAL LEXICAL CYCLES OF THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE IN THE SYSTEM OF CONCEPTUAL METAPHORS

Abstract

The article is focused on conceptualization of temporal experience by native Russian speakers. The purpose of the study is to identify ways to conceptualize time periods that form time counting systems. The study is carried out on metaphorical images of temporal concepts expressed by members of entire lexical groups - cycles - groups of period of time names connected by semantic relations of sequence and recurrence. Syntagmatic analysis of names-constituents of the day (утро, день, вечер, ночь), week (понедельник, вторник, среда,четверг, пятница, суббота, воскресенье), season (весна, лето, осень, зима) and year (январь, февраль, март, апрель, май, июнь, июль, август, сентябрь, октябрь, ноябрь, декабрь) cycles allows us to reveal the implementation specifics of the basic conceptual metaphors of time ‘time is a moving object’ and ‘time is the space through which the subject moves’ in the Russian language. It has been revealed that an anthropomorphic metaphor, where time is likened to a living being, is one of the forms of understanding cyclical periods of time. In this case, comparison with the human essence occurs at the level of physical, mental, and behavioral characteristics. The names-constituents of the cycles are represented as subjects of living nature with a body that allows them to move, perform manipulations, make sounds, etc. (день глаза смыкает; лады весны перебирает апрель воздушными руками). The constituents of cycles, as subjects of living nature, are characterized by various physiological processes and states (неспешный день не проливает пота; дышал ноябрь осенним хладом), they experience emotions and have certain character traits (спокойный вечер; утро миролюбиво; день жесток), go through life cycle stages from birth to death (декабрь рождался; день умирал). Also, cyclical periods of time are conceptualized as discrete entities that can be subject to quantitative and qualitative changes (местная золотая осень уже слиняла под косым дождиком), as a substance (уплывало лето мимо), as a light source (угасает май; померк декабрьский день).