TIESOS KONCEPTUALIZAVIMAS LEKSIKOGRAFIJOS ŠALTINIUOSE. SISTEMINIŲ DUOMENŲ ANALIZĖ
CONCEPTUALISATION OF TRUTH IN LEXICOGRAPHIC RESOURCES. SYSTEMIC DATA ANALYSIS

Summary/Abstract: The article presents Lithuanian linguistic cultural image of Truth (Tiesa) reconstructed from lexicographic data. The analysis of the lexicographic definitions of this lexeme in Lithuanian dictionaries (The Dictionary of Lithuanian Language, The Dictionary of Contemporary Lithuanian, the dictionaries of synonyms and antonyms and Lithuanian etymological sources) distinguishes two main aspects of its meaning: (1) archaic, associated with jurisdiction, when Truth also meant law, justice and court, and (2) contemporary, used in modern Lithuanian, when Truth is explained though its classical correspondence definition: truth is what corresponds to the reality. Therefore, two semantic levels are distinguished: synchronic and diachronic. The diachronic level analysis shows the semantic development of the word, the specification of its meaning (the loss of the primary judicial meaning), and the synchronic analysis shows that truth in Lithuanian language is a very complex and contradictory concept, containing numerous connotative meanings and semantic shades. The analysis of lexicographic data presents the following linguistic cultural image of Lithuanian Truth: it is a value which is honourable and sacred, unconcealable; on the one hand it possesses many positive aspects, such as courage and the ability to save the world, on the other hand, it is hardly distinguished from lie, very obscure and unfair, may not be integral and is often unpleasant. It is social and religious honesty, directness, avoiding intentional and unintentional deviation. Truth cannot be contrived or human-created.

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