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The article is devoted to the study of French phraseological units with the component loup (wolf) and to the consideration of classification principles, which allows for the fullest disclosure of the associative potential of animalrelated phraseological units. The sources for the study include the dictionaries of the French language by V.G. Gak, Tresor de la Langue Francaise, etc.; and works of fiction (e.g. Lafontaine, Maupassant, etc.) as well as popular scientific literature (e.g. Buffon) that influenced the collective ideas of the French. The theoretical basis of the study was provided by the works of G.G. Molchanova, L.I. Bogdanova, G.G. Sokolova, N.D. Arutyunova and others. The article proposes a four-stage classification that allows us to identify the meanings of the mentioned phraseological expressions taking into account 1) references; 2) evaluative characteristics (general evaluative and particular evaluative); 3) functions (identifying and qualifying); 4) the direction of metaphorical transfer (animal → human/ phenomenon and human → animal). The results of the study showed that most of the associations are based on the biological features of the loup/wolf and its behavioural characteristics; many phraseological phrases have negative or neutral evaluation and perform a qualifying function. All examples with the phraseologism loup (wolf) illustrate the transfer of features from an animal to a human or phenomenon, the reverse transfer was not revealed.

The article analyzes French phraseological units with the component renard (fox) in their relationship with folklore, literary, and popular scientific traditions. Drawing on the medieval epic Roman de Renart, La Fontaine's fables, Buffon's natural-historical works, and Saint-Exupéry's philosophical tale The Little Prince, the study traces the evolution of the fox image — from a demonized symbol of evil, lies, and cunning (red fur, nocturnal habits) to an ambivalent archetype that combines negative (deceit, treachery) and positive (intelligence, strategic thinking, prudence) connotations. It is shown that the key characteristics of the fox, embedded in phraseologisms (rusé comme un renard, fin renard, vieux renard, agir en renard, se confesser au renard), correlate with the images created in folklore, literature, and popular scientific traditions. Special attention is paid to phraseologisms that emphasize intelligence (faire la guerre en renard, un bon renard ne mange point les poules de son voisin, le renard cache sa queue). The conclusion is drawn that French zoomorphic phraseologisms not only record the animal's natural cunning but also absorb centuries of cultural evolution — from a fear of treachery to an understanding of cunning as a contextually determined quality that can be evaluated both negatively and positively.