ZOONYMIC UNITS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN REPRESENTING NATIONAL-CULTURAL WORLDVIEWS
Keywords:
Zoonymic units, national-cultural worldview, linguoculturology, phraseology, animal symbolism, cultural linguistics, language and culture, metaphor, idioms, national identityAbstract
Language serves as a reflection of the cultural values, beliefs, and experiences of a particular society. Among the various linguistic means that convey cultural information, zoonymic units occupy a significant place. Zoonyms, or animal names used in literal and figurative meanings, constitute an essential part of a nation's linguistic and cultural heritage. They embody historical experiences, social attitudes, moral values, and traditional knowledge about the natural world. This article examines the role of zoonymic units in representing national-cultural worldviews. Through linguistic and cultural analysis, the study explores how animal-related expressions, proverbs, idioms, and metaphors reflect the mentality and worldview of different speech communities. The findings indicate that zoonymic units function as important cultural markers that preserve collective knowledge and facilitate intercultural communication.
References
1.Humboldt, W. von. (1988). On Language: The Diversity of Human Language Structure and Its Influence on the Mental Development of Mankind. Cambridge University Press.
2.Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors We Live By. University of Chicago Press.
3.Wierzbicka, A. (1997). Understanding Cultures through Their Key Words. Oxford University Press.
4.Maslova, V. A. (2001). Linguoculturology. Moscow: Academy.
5.Krasnykh, V. V. (2002). Ethnopsycholinguistics and Linguoculturology. Moscow: Gnosis.
6.Telia, V. N. (1996). Russian Phraseology: Semantic, Pragmatic and Linguocultural Aspects. Moscow.
7.Sapir, E. (1921). Language: An Introduction to the Study of Speech. Harcourt, Brace and Company.
8.Whorf, B. L. (1956). Language, Thought, and Reality. MIT Press.
9.Kövecses, Z. (2010). Metaphor: A Practical Introduction. Oxford University Press.
10.Palmer, G. B. (1996). Toward a Theory of Cultural Linguistics. University of Texas Press.
11.Sharifian, F. (2017). Cultural Linguistics. John Benjamins Publishing Company.
12.Crystal, D. (2010). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Cambridge University Press.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Quest Journal of Interdisciplinary Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
