Conceptualizing "economy" in the english world view

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Conceptualizing `economy' in the english world view

Mykhaylenko V.V.

Концептуалізація `ECONOMY' в англомовній картині світу необхідна для моделювання змісту концепту та семантичної структури значення його домінантної лексеми. Використання концептуального, етимологічного та компонентного/дефініційного типів аналізу й верифікація їхніх результатів у рамках дискурсу на матеріалі Британського національного корпусу англій-ської мови дало можливість виокремити концептосферу `ECONOMY', компо-нентну структуру домінантної лексеми та вирізнити її дискурсивні функції. Ключові слова: концепт, лексема, компонент, дискурс, корпус, етимологія, семантика, структура.

Концептуализация `ECONOMY' в английской картине мира необходима для моделирования содержания концепта и семантической структуры значения лексемы. Использование концептуального, этимологического и компонен-тного/ дефиниционного типов анализа, а также верификация их результа-тов в рамках дискурса на материале Британского национального корпуса английского языка дало возможность выделить концептосферу `ECONOMY', компонентную структуру доминантной лексемы и определить её дискурсные функции.

Ключевые слова: концепт, лексема, компонент, дискурс, корпус, этимо-логия, семантика, структура.

Conceptualizing `ECONOMY' in the Anglo-phone world view is necessitated by modeling the concept content and the semantic structure of the lexeme. Utilizing conceptual, etymological and componential/definitional types of analysis and their results verification in discourse made possible to reveal the `ECONOMY' conceptual system, the componential structure of the dominant lexeme meaning as well as its discourse functions.

Key words: concept, lexeme, component, discourse, corpus, etymology semantics, structure.

Introduction: theory and objectives. The representational theory of mind (RTM) proposes that concepts are mental representations. According to RTM, thinking occurs in an internal system of representation. Beliefs and desires and other propositional attitudes enter into mental processes as internal symbols [5], while the semantic theory of concepts holds that they are abstract objects.

“There are five significant issues that are focal points for many theories of concepts. Not every theory of concepts takes a stand on each of the five, but viewed collectively these issues show why the theory of concepts has been such a rich and lively topic in recent years. The five issues are: (1) the ontology of concepts, (2) the structure of concepts, (3) empiricism and nativism about concepts, (4) concepts and natural language, and (5) concepts and conceptual analysis” [5].

The linguistic representation of conceptual structure is the central concern of lately as “cognitive linguistics” thanks to the works by Fauconnier (1985, 2002), Fillmore (1975, 1976), Lakoff (1987, 1992), Langacker (1987, 1991), and Talmy (2000, 2000), and edited collections like Geeraerts & Cuyckens (2007). This field can first be characterized by contrasting its “conceptual” approach with two other approaches, the “formal” and the “psychological”. A concept is a cognitive unit of meaning - an abstract idea or a mental symbol sometimes defined as a “unit of knowledge,” built from other units which act as a concept's characteristics. A concept is typically associated with a corresponding representation in a language or symbology such as a single meaning of a term [2, p. 106-114]. The meaning of “concept” is explored in the mainstream of cognitive science, metaphysics, and philosophy of mind.

The objective of the present paper is to conceptualize “economy” in the English word view and verbalize the conceptual system of `economy' in the English language system and economy discourse.

The conceptual analysis. The term “concept” is traced back to 1554-60 (Lat. conceptum - something conceived), but what is today termed “the classical theory of concepts” is the theory of Aristotle on the definition of terms.

According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language concept is:

A general idea or understanding of something: the concept of inertia; the concept of free will.

A plan or original idea: The original concept was for a building with 12 floors.

A unifying idea or theme, especially for a product or service: a new restaurant concept.

In the Oxford English Dictionary the term “concept” is defined:

A general idea derived or inferred from specific instances or occurrences.

Something formed in the mind; a thought or notion. See: idea.

A scheme; a plan: “began searching for an agency to handle a new restaurant concept”.

An idea or a principle that is connected with something abstract.

See the concept (of something), the concept of social class, concepts such as `civilization' and `government,' e.g.: He can't grasp the basic concepts of mathematics; concept (that...) the concept that everyone should have equality of opportunity in teaching (Advanced Learners' Dictionary of the English Dictionary) Traditionally, the content analysis has most often been thought of in terms of conceptual analysis. In conceptual analysis, a concept is chosen for examination and the number of its occurrences within the text recorded [7, p. 45-64].

Scheme 2. Categorization of “concept”

The term concept has been used for a long time in the field of cognitive linguistics by many scientists (A. Wierzbicka, R. W. Langacker, J. S. Stepanov, R. M. Frumkina, et al.). N. A. Semenkina considers concepts to be units with the help of which the person can form his/her world cognition. Concepts are united in the systems that have their own peculiarities. In person's consciousness concept information can be presented as verbal and non-verbal [3, p. 352-356]. The cognitive status of the concept is to be the means of meaning transferring [1] and cognitive representation of the concept is based upon considering it as complex multi-component information structure that helps to explain units of person's consciousness [7, p. 64]. Its frequency is 6341 in the British National Corpus, e.g.:

Yet another concept is that of invariance of number of elements in a set. (BNG 1430).

To meet such objections Ross developed a very useful concept which has become part of the regular stock in trade of moral philosophers, the concept of a prima facie duty. (CS2 657).

This concept is indeed abstract for those of us who have never had to fight for it or defend it.(EEL 703).

The financial accounting system was historically well established before the concept of cost accounts was introduced. (FYS 1409)

In our democratic age, that is essential to the concept of our rule of law. (HHX 13297)

Etymologically the word has underwent such development: `economy' <- Middle English yconomye, management of a household, <-Latin oeconomia, <-Greek oikonomia, from oikonomos, manager of a household : oikos, house; see weik-1 in Indo-European roots + nemein, to allot, manage; see nem- in Indo-European roots. The first recorded sense of our word `economy', found in a work possibly composed in 1440, is “the management of economic affairs,” in this case, of a monastery. “Economy' is later recorded in other senses shared by oikonomia in Greek, including “thrift” and “administration.” What is probably our most frequently used current sense, “the economic system of a country or an area,” seems not to have developed until the 19th or 20th century [6].

The componential analysis. Accordingly, the lexeme `economy' is the dominant one to express the concept of `economy'. To limit the subjectivity in the definitions of concepts, specialized dictionaries are used. Thus we shall consider the components of the lexeme `economy' registered in the dictionaries.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language gives the following definition of the lexeme “economy”:

a. Careful, thrifty management of resources, such as money, materials, or labor: learned to practice economy in making out the household budget.

b. An example or result of such management; a saving.

a. The system or range of economic activity in a country, region, or community: Effects of inflation were felt at every level of the economy.

b. A specific type of economic system: an industrial economy; a planned economy.

An orderly, functional arrangement of parts; an organized system: “the sense that there is a moral economy in the world, that good is rewarded and evil is punished.”

Efficient, sparing, or conservative use: wrote with an economy of language.

The least expensive class of accommodations, especially on a commercial conveyance, such as an airplane.

Theology. The method of God's government of and activity within the world.

The Oxford English Dictionary reveals the following componets in the entry

`economy':

Often the economy [countable] the relationship between production, trade and the supply of money in a particular country or region, e.g.: The economy is in recession.the world economya market economy (= one in which the price is fixed according to both cost and demand.

[Countable] a country, when you are thinking about its economic systemIreland was one of the fastest-growing economies in Western Europe in the 1990s.

[Countable, uncountable] the use of the time, money, etc. that is available in a way that avoids wasteWe need to make substantial economies.It's a false economy to buy cheap clothes (= it seems cheaper but it is not really since they do not last very long).She writes with a great economy of words (= using only the necessary words). (British English) We're on an economy drive at home (= trying to avoid waste and spend as little money as possible).Buy the large economy pack(= the one that gives you better value for money).to fly economy (class)(= by the cheapest class of air travel)an economy fare (= the cheapest).

Just as thoughts are composed of more basic, word-sized concepts, so these word-sized concepts-known as lexical concepts-are generally thought to be composed of. William Croft, D. A. Cruse, explain the conceptual structures and cognitive processes governing linguistic representation and behaviour, and explore cognitive approaches to lexical semantics, as well as syntactic representation [4, p. 159-160].

The discourse analysis. The components revealed can verbalize the constituent of the conceptual system `economy,' see, for example, “global economy, world economy, state economy, US economy, strong economy, real economy, rural economy, peasant economy,” etc. in the text fragments [1, p. 267-279] recorded in the BNC: economy dominant token

Most of the discussions about the relationships between class, state, economy and civil society proceed on the basis of a `unitary conception' of the working class. (F9G 591)

Billions of pounds were wiped off share prices amid fears over the state of the global economy. (K1U 1703)

They also argued that their place in the world economy entitled them to special and separate treatment from the continental states.( HY8 492)

The Pacific region cannot fail to benefit from the current recovery in the US economy, Baillie Gifford believes.( K59 4537)

Sir John Hoskyns, a former head of Mrs Thatcher's Policy Unit, has called for a radical reform of the government system if the effort to transform the economy is to succeed (A6F 118).

Britain should approach the Millennium with head and spirits high, with a strong economy, with a high standard of living, with generously endowed and well managed public services, and with secure defences ( AM8 1854).

The Spanish finance minister, Carlos Solchaga, said: `You cannot pile up social provisions and forget the real economy'(K5D 2293).

The rural economy and standards of living (HWG 140)5.

But you don't you, you well if you've got a rich peasant economy you don't need to because you're saying the rich peasant... (KM6 703).

It is time that Mr Major let British interest rates be fixed by the needs of our low-inflation recessionary economy, not by the Germans' need to fight the rising inflation caused by their economic mismanagement. (RM6 815).

We have selected 100 samples from from 10447 text fragments registered in the BNC including 100ml word forms. The lexeme `economy' is used in 37 cases without any prepositional modifier , see: sentences (6, 10) ; it is used in 26 cases as a head word of the two-constituent phrase (NP <- Adjunct + N), see: sentences (7, 8, 9, 11, 12.); it is used in 9 cases (NP <- Adjunct + Adjunct + N) as a head word of the three-constituent phrase, see: sentence (14) and in two cases as a head word of the four-constituent phrase, see: sentence (15). Polysemy or multicomponential structure of the meaning of `economy' is treated here following William Croft, D.A. Cruse as the matter of isolating different parts of the total meaning potential of a word in different circumstances. The process of isolating a portion of meaning potential is viewed as the creation of a sense boundary delimitating an autonomous unit of sense [See: 4, p. 159-160].

Conclusions and perspectives

The cognitive linguists share the belief that language is based in our experience of the world. In all the text fragments the lexeme reveals its nuclear component “the relationship between production, trade and the supply of money in a particular country or region.” It can also function as a semantic marker of the register of the economy discourse. We are planning to further differentiate the General Economy discourse into its register to define their dominant semantic markers. This is the way to model the conceptual system and its constituents in Modern English for Spesific Purpose (Economy).

References

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2. Семенкина Н. А. Концепты и их святи в тексте // Текст и дискурс: традиционный и когнитивно-функциональный аспекты исследования. Сб. науч. тр-в./ Под ред. Л. А. Манерко; Ряз. гос. пед. ун-т им. С. А. Есенина. - Рязань, 2002. - С. 106-114.

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6. Talmy Leonard.Cognitive Semantics: an Overview /Leonard Talmy // Handbook of Semantics edited by Claudia Maienborn, Klaus von Heusinger, Paul Portner. - Amsterdam:Mouton de Gruyder, 2007. [Електронний ресурс]. - Режим доступу до джерела: http://linguistics.buffalo.edu/people/facultv/talmv/talmvweb.

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