PORADNIK JĘZYKOWY

ISSUE 1 / 2015

ARTICLES AND DISSERTATIONS

  • Renata Grzegorczykowa : What is the linguistic worldview and why is it worth studying?

    The concept of the linguistic worldview (LWV) refers to the cognitive function of language. The human being, as an animal loquens, has the ability to communicate with other people by means of a system of conventional signs, which refer to classes of phenomena in extra-linguistic reality. Hence, a certain cognitive view of the world, its categorisation and conceptualization of the identified phenomena are encoded in the human mind. The view of the world, which is established in language (LWV), is not identical to the scientific (encyclopaedic) knowledge of the world. Languages differ among each other with this respect.

    The difference between the description of language as a communication system and the description of language as cognitive apprehension of the world is described in this paper on the example of the lexeme arm and the notion ‘arm’.

  • Jerzy Bartmiński : The semasiological and onomasiological perspectives in studying the linguistic worldview
    The author recalls the views of 19th- and 20thcentury researchers (from W. von Humboldt to A. Wierzbicka and R. Grzegorczykowa) that were significant for developing and shaping the concept of the view of the world (LWV), discusses LWV definitions as a set of judgments for interpreting the world, and suggests that the term LWV be apprehended through reference to the Ogden-Richards semiotic triangle, which comprises “language”, “image” and “the world”. He expresses his conviction that two research procedures may be applied to the description of LWV: semasiological, coming from a sign (a linguistic name, lexeme) towards its meaning and the signified object, and onomasiological, coming from the object towards its name. He presents the semasiological procedure for reconstructing the linguistic view of the selected object on the example of the entry gold by analysing lexicographic definitions, derivatives, collocations and proverbs. He formulates the certification principle for definitional features, their reliance on “linguistic evidence”. He discusses two fundamental issues as part of the onomasiological approach: philosophical, regarding the ontological status of the “real objects”, and linguistic, regarding relations between objects and their names and the necessity to decide which of the names are “absolute” synonyms denoting one object (Jutrzenka = Gwiazda Poranna (the Morning Star)), and which are merely quasi-synonyms, referring in fact to various objects (deszcz – ulewa (rain – downpour)). This paper discusses also two disputable issues: the type of data on which the author can (should) base the study of LWV (only systemic or survey and “by-linguistic”, too?) and multitude of LWVs (textual? discoursive? phraseological?); he decides that they need not be postulated since all that is comprised by LWV.
  • Stanisława Niebrzegowska-Bartmińska : On profiling the linguistic worldview
    The author presents the “Lublin” notions profiling concept, which is a part of a programme of studying the linguistic worldview. In part one, she discusses the application of the concept for describing general Polish (on the example of LUD, TOLERANCJA, KOMUNIZM, EUROPA (PEOPLE, TOLERANCE, COMMUNISM, EUROPE)) and folk Polish (on the example of BŁAWATEK and ŹRENICA (CORNFLOWER and PUPIL)). In part two, she analyses concept operationalisation methods, she asks questions about the object of profiling, the relation between the profile and the base notion, profile differentiation issues, profiling exponents, relations between profiles, and whether profiles are an open or closed set. She points to the fact that the profiling concept is the development of thinking about LWV in the categories of the “image of the world” (the objective variant) and the “view of the world” (the subjective variant). Profiles are certain “views of the world”, they permit disclosure of both multi-dimensionality and complexity of the object itself as well as the knowledge of the subject, its reasonability, system of values, points of view and communicative intentions.
  • Mariola Jakubowicz : The linguistic worldview in etymological research
    This paper presents examples illustrating the capabilities of studying the linguistic worldview based on etymology. This issue is relatively rarely discussed despite the fact that the material based on which it can be presented is virtually unlimited. The method applied when studying the linguistic worldview based on etymology is examining the sematic motivation of individual words through analysing their structure, their position against their Proto-Slavic background, and relations with Indo- European cognates. The aim of the research is to capture the moment when the word changed its meaning or etymon (a Proto-Slavic or Proto-Indo-European word from which the examined word was derived). Discovering the relations between the old and new meaning of the word helps to answer the questions about our ancestors’ associations with individual notions. One of the discussed examples is the association of work with servitude and hardship, another is the association of love with desire.
  • Agnieszka Mikołajczuk : The linguistic worldview in the Polish language teaching versus teaching contents in the core curriculum and selected school handbooks

    The reflection on the linguistic worldview established in the language of a given community and invoked in texts is the condition of a conscious use of the language and overcoming its limitations – both with respect to reception and production of utterances or statements. Therefore, it is worth examining the degree to which the reflection is possible and/or required in teaching Polish at schools.

    After specifying the basic terms, this paper focuses on assessing the educational value of the concept of LWV in teaching Polish, pointing to the benefits arising from the reflection on LWV in the context of the recommendations of the “new” core curriculum (of 2008) and presenting suggestions for comprehension of terms such as: the cognitive function (of language), the linguistic worldview, and the (linguistic) stereotype – provided for in handbooks, with both their strengths and weaknesses identified.

  • Elżbieta Wierzbicka-Piotrowska : Methodology of the linguistic worldview in school teaching
    The inclusion of the subject of discovering the view of the world comprised by language in the core curriculum has enabled speaking about Polish in the context of other languages, and the reconstruction of LWV during both literary and linguistic classes has revealed new methods of interpreting literary and informal texts. It comes as no surprise that the debate about LWV, which has been animated for a dozen or so years among Polish linguists, has recently reached also teachers of Polish. The quoted utterances by teachers of Polish present interesting ideas for classes of Polish regarding LWV, and the comment of Jadwiga Puzynina, the author of numerous studies concerning the ethics of language, demonstrates how an attitude based on values can be shaped in pupils with the use of LWV.
  • Magdalena Zawisławska : The function of metaphor in the reconstruction of the linguistic worldview on the example of the use of metaphors in the language of vintners
    The aim of this paper is to present metaphor as the central component which permits reconstruction of the linguistic worldview. Metaphors used in texts dedicated to wine descriptions are analysed as the example material. The object of the analysis is both conventionalised metaphors (tasting terms), e.g. angular, soft, long (wine), and more creative metaphors, used in wine reviews. The analysis of the material shows that there are examples of wine reification, animation and personification in the wine lexis. The description of the use of metaphors in the language of vintners proves that there are linguistic worldviews rather than one LWV, common to all users of Polish. Metaphor depicts the LWV that is up-to-date and living, unlike grammatical and etymological data.
  • Kamila Wincewicz : The linguistic view of nobility in Kazania sejmowe (Sejm Sermons) by Piotr Skarga
    The aim of this paper is to discuss the linguistic view of nobility in Kazania sejmowe (Sejm Sermons) by Piotr Skarga. The text, which has features of a political treatise, has not been thoroughly analysed in terms of language to this date. Its author not only discusses religious issues but also presents internal problems faced by the Republic of Poland there. One of their causes was to be excessive political rights of lesser nobility acquired at the expense of the king or senators’ powers. The single lexemes and longer linguistic units used by Skarga to name senators and envoys, which are indicated in this paper, create an opposing image of the two noble groups. While senators are described by the preacher using exclusively expressions with positive connotations, such as panowie (lords) (11 proofs) or ojcowie (fathers) (10), envoys – on the contrary – are called for instance pospólstwo (the hoi polloi) (6). The lexical layer of the sermons and the metaphors referring to nobility constitute the linguistic view of nobility, which is clearly divided into two camps: senator and envoy.

OLD AND CONTEMPORARY DICTIONARIES

  • Jowita Latko : Stanisław Dubisz (ed.), Uniwersalny słownik języka polskiego (The universal dictionary of Polish), Warsaw 2003

POLISH GRAMMAR

  • Anna Just : Przewodnik do języka polskiego (Polish language guide) by Michael Kuschius – the fi rst German-Polish alphabetic dictionary in Silesia

EXPLANATIONS OF WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS

  • Marcin Zabawa : Premiera, dinozaur, budżet (premiere, dinosaur, budget) – on new neosemanticisms in the Polish language

WORDS AND PHRASES