NATIONAL AND CULTURAL PECULIARITIES OF THE ZOONYM DOG IN LATIN AND ENGLISH PAROEMIAS

Abstract

The article presents a comparative analysis of the connotative meanings and national-cultural specifics of the zoonym dog in the linguocultures of the ancient Romans and the British. This allows tracing the conceptualization of the animal, as well as universal and distinct stereotypes shaped by the national-cultural worldview of different ethnic groups. The metaphorical interpretation of the lexeme is grounded both in the behavioral traits of the animal and the societal attitudes towards it. The zoomorphic cultural code conceptualizes human character traits, interpersonal relations, moral essence, intellect, appearance, environmental realities, etc. In the paroemiological space of Latin and English, the image of the dog carries ambivalent evaluative connotations. On one hand, the dog is portrayed as a loyal and experienced companion endowed with intelligence and devotion; on the other, the zoonym embodies the worst human qualities: aggression, cruelty, insatiability, indifference, ingratitude, insincerity, stubbornness, shortsightedness, laziness, etc. The analysis of the zoonym dog in paroemiological traditions enables the reconstruction of different peoples’ perceptions of the animal, tracing its metaphorical reinterpretation, and identifying universal and culture-specific features of folk symbolism.