Gradient semantic shift in synonymous adjective series in Russian and Chinese

Abstract

The current article forms part of the broader research that investigates the mechanisms of gradient semantic shift within synonymic series of adjectives denoting personal characteristics in Russian and Chinese languages.

The paper is devoted to examining the semantic dynamics within a synonymous series with the lexeme “агрессивный” (aggressive) as a core element and its synonyms in Russian, as well as a number of its Chinese equivalents (such as 侵略性, 攻击性, 强势, etc.). The aim of the article is to identify systematic patterns in the conceptualization of aggression as a human characteristic in distantly related languages, namely, the changes in emotive valence and cultural load within the synonymous series.

The research is carried out within the framework of cognitive semantics, relying on the integrative methodological approach that combines the tools of prototype theory, componential analysis, and conceptual analysis.

Through a detailed comparative analysis of synonymous series of descriptive adjectives in Russian and Chinese, the structural and connotative differences in the semantic dynamics across the synonymic series in the two languages under study are demonstrated. The study establishes the universal nature of the gradient shift in emotive valence from the negative to the positive pole when moving from the core to the periphery of the synonymic row. It is also demonstrated that the linguistic embodiment of this shift is conditioned by the perceptions of aggression inherent to native speakers of Russian and Chinese. The study illustrates the profound interconnection between semantic processes, the language-specific conceptualization, and the value systems of Russian and Chinese cultures, contributing to the theory of semantic variation and intercultural communication.

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