Linguistic Representation of Human Intellectual Activity in English: a Phraseological and Semantic Analysis
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study investigates the linguistic representation of human intellectual activity in English through a comprehensive analysis of phraseological units, metaphorical expressions, and semantic structures.The research examines how intellectual abilities are conceptualised, categorised, and evaluated within the English linguistic worldview, focusing on key lexemes such as "mind", "reason", "head", and "brain", as well as their antithetical counterparts "stupid" and "fool".The analysis reveals that English speakers employ a rich array of metaphorical models to represent intellectual capacity, including conceptualisations of the mind as a container, a plant, a fire, an animal, and a person.Six primary thematic groups emerge through systematic examination of phraseological units: smart-stupid dichotomy, gaining-losing intelligence, extensive-trivial knowledge, giftedness-ordinary abilities, quick-slow wit, and good-poor memory.These categories demonstrate a hierarchical evaluation system where intellectual skills are measured gradually, notably lacking a neutral "normal" category.Component analysis of phraseological expressions identifies somatic elements (head, brain, mind), object-based metaphors (knife, brick, light), natural phenomena comparisons (rock, whip), measurement metaphors (encyclopedia, fountain, sieve), animal references (elephant, bird, chicken), and action verbs as primary linguistic mechanisms for expressing intellectual concepts.The study reveals a predominance of negative evaluations in intellectual characterisation, with positive assessments typically requiring intensifiers.The research demonstrates that intellectual activity representation in English reflects cultural values and social norms, where intelligence is a virtue subject to moral evaluation.The analysis uncovers distinct conceptual boundaries between "mind" (basic thinking ability) and "reason" (higher cognitive function), as well as between "stupid" (slow intellectual capacity) and "fool" (violation of social behavioural norms).These findings contribute to understanding how cognitive abilities are linguistically constructed and culturally transmitted through language.The study's implications extend to cognitive linguistics, cultural anthropology, and language pedagogy, offering insights into the relationship between language, thought, and cultural conceptualisation of human intellectual capacity within English-speaking communities.
Source: Lviv Philological Journal
Author: O. I. Hrom
Institution: Dragomanov Ukrainian State University
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4412923736