COGNITIVE INTEGRATION OF DEMINUTIVES

Abstract

The article considers the process of conceptual integration, which is based on the combination of the theory of conceptual metaphor and the theory of conceptual spaces. Mental spaces are studied as conceptual structures of a person’s memory, which arise in his consciousness at the moment of speech generation. Mental spaces are cognitively interconnected, that’s why conceptual structures can be used to form other conceptual structures that arise in integrated spaces. These spaces form a blend, which is not just a set of elements of the original spaces, but a new unique structure. Spatial models are constructed on the basis of a metaphor that actualizes those features and meanings that are not the main and essential for the direct meaning of the word, but are stable in the minds of speakers. It is noted that the basis of metaphorization, according to the theory of conceptual metaphor, is the process of interaction between the knowledge structures of two domains: the source sphere and the target sphere. Particular attention is paid to the study of the process of metaphorical modeling and features of the metaphorical model of Chudinov A. P. Creatively are developed semantic-cognitive formants, studied in the works of Kravtsova Yu. V. Certain aspects of metaphorical modeling of diminutives, which occur through the verbalization of correlative concepts in the associative plan and forming metaphorical models, are presented. The metaphorical model contains the new conceptual area of metaphorical projection and the semantic-cognitive formant, which integrates this area according a similar feature. Metaphorical models of diminutives are formed, when the component of the meaning of a forming word is transferred to a derived word, when the component of the meaning of one conceptual space interacts with the meaning of another conceptual space, creating a blend, a diminutive. The metaphorical model of the diminutive “little cat” is presented in detail.