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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’.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
