Człowiek w relacji ze zwierzętami hodowlanymi: lingwistyczne studium antropocentryzmu (na podstawie polskich i rosyjskich frazeologizmów animalistycznych)
Human in relation to farm animals: A linguistic study of anthropocentrism (based on Polish and Russian animalistic phraseologisms)

Author(s): Agata Piasecka
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Philology
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
Keywords: Polish animalistic phraseologisms; Russian animalistic phraseologisms; anthropocentrism; linguistic worldview; farm animals; human-animal relationship in language
Summary/Abstract: The monograph is a linguistic study of anthropocentrism, based on an analysis of Polish and Russian animalistic phraseologisms related to selected farm animals: horses, cows, sheep, goats, and pigs. The starting point is the assumption that language not only describes the natural world but also reinforces value hierarchies, stereotypes, and cultural patterns of thinking about the human-animal relationship. The study covers expressions with both positive and negative connotations, demonstrating how the real characteristics of fauna – and more often their cultural representations – serve as a reference point in describing humans, including their appearance, behavior, emotions, or morality. The author proposes an original classification of phraseologisms based on anthropocentric models (practical, perceptual, physical, dynamic, mental, and characterological), which allows for capturing the mechanisms of metaphorization, valuation, and stereotyping. By combining a linguistic perspective with cultural reflection, the work shows that the linguistic worldview is shaped by centuries-old experiences, beliefs, and customs, while also influencing the perception and treatment of animals. The conclusions from the analysis prompt reflection on the place of Homo sapiens in the natural world and the consequences of the speciesism entrenched in language. The publication is addressed to linguists, cultural studies scholars, translators, and anyone interested in the relationships between language, culture, and ethics in the context of the portrayal of animals in Slavic languages.

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