The lexical-semantic representation of the concept of abilities in the dialectical linguistic image of the world (the case adjectives of the Serbian speech of Prizren)

• Main Author: Milosavljević Tanja Z.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Institute for the Serbian Language, Belgrade 2017-01-01
• Series: Južnoslovenski Filolog
• Subjects: concept of abilities; LSG of adjectives with the hyperseme ‘intellectual abilities’; LSG of adjectives with the hyperseme ‘psychomotor abilities’; Serbian speech of Prizren
• Online Access: http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0350-185X/2017/0350-185X1702135M.pdf

A fragment of the dialectical linguistic image of the world which represents the concept of the human intellect is linguistically manifested through the lexical-semantic subfield of abilities, which with the subfields of temperament and character completes the lexical-semantic field of human psychological characteristics and gives a more comprehensive account of the psychological profile of the Prizren dialectical persona. Within the lexical-semantic subfield of abilities we identify two parameters for the classification of lexemes, one in the field of intellectual and one in the field of psychomotor abilities. The lexical paradigm, based on semantic fields theory, is represented as a system of units organized into smaller lexical groups: the LSG of adjectives with the hyperseme ‘intellectual abilities’ and the LSG of adjectives with the hyperseme ‘psychomotor abilities’. The human intellectual abilities are primarily reflected in the smart - dumb opposition. The set of units used to represent the negative sphere of human intellectual abilities is disproportionately broader in comparison to the lexical groups whose constituents have a more positive connotation. The constituents of the lexical-semantic subfield abilities combine elements from the intellectual sphere of the human psyche (smart, sensible, wise, able, skillful, agile, resourceful, quickwitted, sharp; dumb, imprudent, distracted, foolish, witless, crazy, insane). Here we can clearly see the distinction between the opposites smart - dumb and smart - crazy, while on the negative axis we can note the gradual transition from a mental state into a psychological state (dumb - crazy; crazy - dumb). The number of lexical features which can be used to mark the human intellectual capacity, the choice of the lexeme used to mark a man as a bearer of these features, and the high production of expressives in the domain of human intellectual characterization indicate that the principles of the intellect have a significant role to play in the understanding of the conceptualization of an individual among various speakers of a particular dialect. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 178020: Dijalektološka istraživanja srpskog jezičkog prostora]