QUALITY LEVEL MOTIVATOR IN THE GERMAN FISH NAMINGS

Abstract

Introduction. The German fish namings represent scholastically fixed system of fish knowledge that is reflected in the choice of motivators of the German fish namings from quality level. Quality level motivators’ research is topical, as it provides for detailed analysis of various qualitative parameters actualized in the German fish namings.  

Purpose. This article deals with the peculiarities of the German fish namings’ motivation with the quality level motivator.

Methods. The basic method used in this research is cognitive-onomasiological analysis formulated by O. O. Selivanova. The goal of cognitive-onomasiological analysis is to refer to motivation as a linguopsychomental operation penetrating into the nomination process and aiming at reconstructing semantic and formal dependence between motivator and derivated nominative unit (motivated sign) of different components in knowledge schemes. There are two stages in conducting cognitive-onomasiological analysis of the German fish namings’: interpretation of onomasiological structures to find out the nominative status of the German fish namings represented by derivatives, composites and compound nouns, and reconstructing cognitive model in a form of mental-psychonetic complex that allows to reconstruct motivational basis of the German fish namings.

Results. In the scientific image of the world fish namings according to their size and external qualities are based on sensory perception via visual feelings. Visual feelings are projected onto onomasiological features chosen from quality level. Quality level is represented in onomasiological structures mostly by composite adjectives that highlight fish colouring. Motivators-qualitatives can be associated with peculiarities of fish bodies or its parts. Quality level in some German ichthionyms has the status of equonym. The German fish namings composites can reflect only one of the possible shades of colouring due to the type of water resources or fish age. Motivators stipulating formation of namings on the basis of colouring in the motivational structure are usually connected to partitives that are implicated. In onomasiological structure of the German ichthionyms colour is combined with fragment that contains fish colouring. The general colouring indicator is usually implicated and is represented in combination with colour or quality component in onomasiological structure of the German fish namings.  Qualitative level is represented by some features formed as a result of touching feeling of fish bodies. Motivators of quality level are also represented by units having mixed motivation. In such fish namings quality motivator correlates with metaphoric motivator, and source domains are mostly conceptual spheres ANIMALS and ARTEFACTS.

Originality. The German fish namings’ motivation has never been studied via cognitive-onomasiological aspect that stipulates the novelty of this research.

Conclusion. Usage of quality level motivator in the German fish namings performs the concretizing, differentiating and characterizing functions. The perspective of further researches is in detailing the quality level motivator connections with various onomasiological features of the words’ nominative structure and projection onto meaning formation.