НАЦІОНАЛЬНО-КУЛЬТУРНА СПЕЦИФІКА СЕМАНТИКИ ФЛОРОНІМІВ В УКРАЇНСЬКІЙ ТА АНГЛІЙСЬКІЙ МОВАХ

Abstract

This article attempts to establish similarities and differences in the semantics of phraseologically objectified floronyms конюшина /clover, нарцис / narcissus, and чортополох / thistle in a contrastive aspect in the Ukrainian and English languages. The national and cultural specificity of the analysed floronyms’ semantics in the contrasted languages has been characterised, their symbolic meaning and connotations have been explored.It has been determined that the floronym конюшина / cloveris rarely distributed in Ukrainian idioms and proverbs, but due to globalisation, the four-leaved clover serves as a symbol of good luck in both linguiocultures and can have a locative feature in idioms. In the English language, the floronym cloverhas the archiseme “fragrance, aroma” and is combined with the attribute sweetin idioms. The semes “plurality”, “luxury, wealth, comfort” and the association with society of the studied floronym’s semantics have been identified in English idioms. Clover/ shamrock represents Ireland & its patron St.Patrick.It has been established that in the Ukrainian language, the floronym нарцис / narcissus can be associated with a well-groomed young man, while in English-speaking countries, the daffodil flower serves as the national emblem of Wales and is a harbinger of spring. It has been revealed that the floronym нарцис / narcissus has the connotations of “selfishness” and “self-love”. Moreover, the analysed floronym is pejoratively connoted in both linguocultures due to its association with narcissism.The common semes “prickliness” and “unpleasantness” of the floronym чортополох / thistle’s semantics in the contrasted languages have been identified, and it has been established that the flower under study can serve as an apotropaic symbol / amulet against the evil in both linguocultures. Thistle is the emblem of Scotland. In addition, in Ukrainian phraseology, the floronym чортополох / thistle has the seme “rubbish”, while the floronym будяк / burdock can be associated with a senior bachelor, an annoying suitor, sin and have the seme “annoyance”. It has been determined that the semantic components of the analysed floronym contribute to the objectification of the causal relationship “action → consequence” in Ukrainian phraseology.