CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE LEXEMES HEART AND SOUL IN THE NOVEL “ORYX AND CRAKE” BY MARGARET ATWOOD
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32689/maup.philol.2023.4.4Keywords:
conceptualization, concept, conceptual meaning, lexeme heart, lexeme soul, novel, the English languageAbstract
The article deals with the analysis of conceptualization of the lexemes heart and soul in the English language based on the novel “Oryx and Crake” by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. Despite the fact that there is a number of researches dedicated to investigation of the nature of concept and conceptualization this topic is still of paramount importance. Thus, the purpose of the investigation is to study the peculiarities of conceptualization of the lexemes heart and soul and count their conceptual meanings based on the novel “Oryx and Crake” by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. To reach the purpose of the research the following methods have been chosen: the descriptive method, the comparative analysis, the constructive method, the cognitive analysis. Due to the results of the investigation, the lexeme heart which has been used 22 times in the novel as a separate lexical unit, as a component of a phrase, as a derivative and as a compound noun represents 14 conceptual meanings: 1) generosity and kindness; 2) enthusiasm; 3) lack of desire and enthusiasm; 4) feeling of fear and excitement; 5) uneasiness and worry; 6) cruelty; 7) sincerity; 8) insincerity, 9) memory; 10) love and affection, 11) center; 12) body organ; 13) person’s true nature; 14) energy and pace of life, whereas the lexeme soul used 8 times in the text of the novel conveys two main conceptual meanings: 1) nonphysical part of a human being; 2) cruelty of a living being. The difference in number of the revealed conceptual meanings of both lexemes used in the novel can be explained by the uneven number of examples with the lexeme heart and the lexeme soul revealed and analyzed in the text and author’s own choice of lexical units to reveal concepts in the story. The topic requires further researches to reveal more peculiarities of conceptualization of the lexemes heart and soul in the novels of other authors to single out more conceptual meanings of the lexemes under research.
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