О роли русских предлогов в структурировании пространства

Abstract

Using the example of the spatial prepositions przed (in front of), za (behind), pod (under), nad (over), w (in) and na (on), this paper considers the features of the modeling of space by native Russian speakers. The prepositions’ meanings fixed in dictionaries are analyzed from the standpoint of the cognitive approach. To reveal mental characteristics of the spatial prepositions, dialect material is being examined. A brief review of the main approaches to the study of spatial prepositions is given. As a result, cognitive models of the spatial prepositions are constructed based on the parameters significant for the Russian linguistic world-image. The distinctive features underlying the cognitive model are the following: static or dynamic interaction between objects; presence or absence of the contact between them; horizontal or vertical position; location of objects relative to each other (in front / behind, above/below, inside/outside). The conclusion is that the Russian modeling of space reflects the peculiarities of the ancient world-view: two-dimensional perception of space; weak differentiation of vertical positions; absence of differentiation between persons and things as well as between specific objects and abstract concepts in describing spatial scenes.