The study of the concept in the context of cognitive linguistics (using the example of the concept "will" in Russian)

Latiypova Yuliya Alfritovna ORCID: 0000-0002-5327-2726 Senior Lecturer; Department of Foreign Languages of the Humanities Faculties; Ufa University of Science and Technology Room 338, Zaki Validi str., Ufa, 450076, Russia, Republic of Bashkortostan dzhulija.latipova@yandex.ru Other publications by this author     Absalyamova Liliya Faritovna ORCID: 0000-0003-1191-9920 Associate Professor, Department of Pedagogy and Psychology, Sibay Institute (branch) Ufa University of Science and Technology 453833, Russia, Republic of Bashkortostan, Sibai, Belova str., 21 absalyam80@mail.ru Other publications by this author     Hisamova Dinara Damirovna PhD in Philology Associate Professor; Department of Comparative Linguistics and Guided Tours; Ufa University of Science and Technology Office 400, Zaki Validi str., Ufa, 450076, Russia, Republic of Bashkortostan dinara-ufa@yandex.ru

Mingazetdinova Rimma Flyurovna Senior Lecturer; Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences; Ufa University of Science and Technology Office 338, Zaki Validi str., Ufa, 450076, Russia, Republic of Bashkortostan rflyurovna@mail.ru

1. Conduction

In the era of globalization, there is a tendency towards the integration of scientific disciplines, in which the problems of perception of the world become interdisciplinary. At the junction of the unification of scientific disciplines, cognitive science arises as a network of interacting scientific disciplines that study the human mind and thinking, ways of obtaining, storing, processing and using knowledge. Cognitive science is based on such scientific fields as the psychology of cognition, neuroscience, philosophy of consciousness, linguistics, cognitive anthropology, artificial intelligence and computer science. According to E.S. Kubryakova, the term cognitive is an umbrella term that unites many scientific disciplines ^[1].

An important contribution to the study of language in the cognitive field was made by Russian researchers (A. Vezhbitskaya, N.D. Arutyunova, V.Z. Demyankov, A.A. Zalevskaya, V.I. Karasik, A.A. Kibrik, V.V. Kolesov, V.V. Krasnykh, A.A. E.S. Kubryakova, V.A. Maslova, Z.D. Popova, Yu.S. Stepanov, I.A. Sternin, Yu.N. Karaulova).

Cognitive linguistics, which originated in the depths of cognitive science, offers new approaches to language learning, thereby expanding the boundaries of traditional linguistics. The cognitive direction in linguistics is based on an anthropocentric approach to language learning. Science is gradually focusing on humans. As noted by Z.D. Popova and A. Sternin, researchers are becoming more interested in the "living language" rather than the "dead" one, which is abstracted from the native speaker ^[2]. In addition, one of the urgent tasks of cognitive linguistics is to consider the inner world of a person, non-material structures that are not subject to direct observation ^[3].

The cognitive field in linguistics is looking for ways to model knowledge structures in an individual's mind, as well as ways to obtain and reflect them in language. Human knowledge is represented in the form of sensory images, pictures, frames, concepts, etc., and mental activity is represented as the interaction and interpenetration of these mental entities. To describe the "invisible" processes in the mind of a subject, the term concept is introduced, which is common to linguistics, philosophy, psychology, etc. The concept is considered as a model through which it is possible to describe the content of human memory. The reconstruction of the conceptual space, with the help of linguistic analysis, gives access to the structures of knowledge and the mechanisms of thinking.

The subject of cognitive activity is not an individual, but a society, a native speaker, on the basis of which the results of cognitive activity as a process of cognition of the world are studied. Studying the concept in the light of cognitive linguistics allows: 1) to form an idea of the peculiarities of thinking and cognition of a particular people; 2) to trace the reflection in the language of cognitive activity of society; 3) to know the culture of the people at different stages of formation.

2. Discussion

Cognitive linguistics interprets language in its close connection with human cognitive abilities. Researchers are trying to explain the mechanisms of human thinking, the ways in which a subject learns reality, the role of language in the process of accumulating and storing information about the world around them, as well as the influence of culture and mentality.

One of the abilities of the human mind is considered to be the ability to conceptualize, grasp certain situations or fragments of reality in the form of models, such as a frame, prototype, scenario, cognitive metaphor, etc. Cognitive structures are reincarnated in the form of linguistic units, thus they are inherently linked to language and take the form of lexical and grammatical meanings. By perceiving information, a person forms new linguistic meanings, combining it with information already existing in his mind. Linguistic meanings change when the perception of reality changes ^[4]. The process of categorization, the assignment of fragments of knowledge to certain categories, is also highlighted. Consciousness defines the commonality between fragments of reality and unites them into classes and groupings. According to E.S. Kubryakova, the processes of conceptualization and categorization differ both in the purpose of the activity and in the final result. The first is aimed at "highlighting certain minimal units of human experience in their ideal meaningful representation, the second is aimed at combining units that show similarities in one way or another" ^{[1, 18]}.

The processes associated with cognitive activity are called "cognitive", cognitio means "cognition" in Latin. Cognition and understanding of objective reality cannot occur without linguistic participation. Language is not just a way of perceiving and receiving information, but also a means of processing it. Language is the material basis of mental activity, since thinking occurs through words. With the help of language, the subject not only expresses his thoughts, intentions, emotions, but also stores and transmits the experience to future generations in linguistic forms. Language as a cognitive mechanism is in the focus of cognitive research. Cognitive linguistics is aimed at identifying correlations between the content of cognitive models in consciousness and linguistic units ^[5].

A person's material and spiritual culture is fixed by a linguistic sign, including a concept. The term concept itself is borrowed from mathematical logic and has been used in linguistics since 1928. However, it disappears from use in linguistics until the advent of cognitive science, where it becomes a tool for studying human knowledge. In linguistics, the term concept was "reanimated" in the early 90s in the works of Yu.S. Stepanov and D.S. Likhachev ^[6].

The concept lexeme has its roots in the Latin concipere language and means "to conceive", i.e. it has similarities with the Russian term concept, which means "to conceive, to conceive", "to seize a woman as a wife". Despite the kinship, there is a difference between the terms, according to Yu.S. Stepanov, the concept is still a more voluminous structure of knowledge, absorbing both a figurative and value representation as a concept ^{[7, 17]}. A concept is a phenomenon of a high order, it is more than a word and a related object of reality. A concept is a tool and a result of human cognitive activity. According to representatives of cognitive linguistics, the concept consists of three components: conceptual, (definitional), figurative (metaphorical) and value layer ^[8].

A concept materializes through linguistic signs (words, phraseological units, etc.). However, it does not always have a verbalized form. Z.D. Popova and I.A. Sternin believe that a certain part of concepts does not find correspondences in the semantic structure of language, since it is formed in consciousness through figurative perception ^[2].The concept is closely related to the mentality and behavioral stereotypes of the nation, its "actual, main feature", fixed in the linguistic sign, is known to all native speakers. However, not all of its components are recognized by representatives of a particular nation, its "additional, passive feature" is relevant for a narrower circle of society. Yu.N. Karaulov notes that the vocabulary has been formed for thousands of years, it is layered with misconceptions and superstitions, as well as the logical way of formation of thinking and language ^[8]. An "etymological feature", the internal form of a concept is connected with its history and "lives" deep inside, and is an unconscious area of knowledge ^[7]. The boundaries between the conceptual layers are fuzzy and flexible.

In the mind, concepts exist as diffuse and blurred, incompletely formed "clusters of meaning." Being understood by a primitive person, the concept appears as an embryo of sensations, representations, and functions at the level of the unconscious. Further, the concept is realized, "worked out", transformed from perceptual images into clear, semantic fragments ^[9]. Vezhbitskaya rightly compares the concept to a "ball of wool", which consists of culturally relevant values, attitudes, stable expressions, proverbs, grammatical expressions, etc. By pulling the "thread", you can "untangle" the "tangled tangle" of concepts and the relationships between them ^[10].

Concepts are classified according to the type of reflection of reality. A prototype is usually understood as an image encoding a particular class of objects. For example, a plant: shrub, flower, tree, etc. ^[11]. A frame is a multicomponent concept, a three–dimensional representation of a fragment of reality, a set of parts of a whole. For example, the concept of "store" includes such fragments as "sale", "purchase", "product", "price", etc. ^[11]. A metaphor is a "grid", a "prism" through which an individual perceives the world. Basic metaphors are presented as "clumps of cultural code" with an archetypal nature ^[12].

The concept of "will" is an integral part of the worldview of any society. The concept we are investigating has come to the attention of many researchers: E.V. Krasilnikov, N.M. Petrov, N. Grebenshchikov, N.M. Kataev, and others. The concept of "will" is an original Russian concept, deeply rooted in the consciousness of the people.

The conceptual component of the concept of "will"

The conceptual component of a concept is an information-factual component formed (formed) as a result of the categorization of reality and fixed in linguistic units. The study of dictionary definitions makes it possible to identify a generalized prototype of the concept, its minimum content, which creates the basis for further study of the concept based on other techniques ^[13].

The conceptual model of the concept "volya" is constructed by studying the name of the concept – the abstract lexeme volya, using the explanatory dictionaries of the Russian language by V.I. Dahl, N.Yu. Shvedova, D.N. Ushakov, S.I. Ozhegov, etc. Based on the definitional analysis of the representative word, we see that the concept of "will" is ambiguously actualized in the Russian linguistic worldview. The semantic space of the concept "will" contains the following meanings: 1) the ability to fulfill one's desires, goals set for oneself; 2) a conscious desire to accomplish something; 3) a wish, a requirement; 4) the ability to dispose; the right to act at one's discretion, in accordance with one's desires; 5) freedom in the manifestation of something; arbitrariness of action; scope in actions; 6) a free state, not in prison, not locked up; 7) a person's ability to consciously control their behavior, control themselves, control their actions, overcome difficulties in achieving their goals; 8) lack of dependence on anyone, anything; the ability to dispose of themselves without reporting to anyone; freedom from internal connection with anyone, anything; 9) the absence of constraints, restrictions, bondage, coercion; self-will, arbitrariness; freedom from slavery, serfdom.

The study of the definitions of words in different explanatory dictionaries allows us to identify the main, categorical feature of the concept: "the ability / ability to fulfill one's desires, control actions; a state of absence of constraints, compulsions, dependencies." These values reflect essential knowledge about a concept and integrate all conceptual meanings into a single whole.

The conceptual models in the structure of the concept of "will" are connected by the conceptual similarity of the designated phenomena. The conceptual space "will" contains similar concepts in its structure: "freedom", "desire", "strength", "power".

First of all, the concept of "will" intersects with the concept of "freedom" in two aspects: "inner feeling of freedom" and "outer freedom".

Will as freedom contains the following cognitive models:

1) "Inner freedom": "unlimited freedom": you have given someone a lot of will; "the opportunity, the right to act as you see fit": your own will, your will; "unlimited freedom": do not give your will to your hands.

2) "Physical freedom": "lack of restraint": free, to break free; "free state, not locked up": bondage.

3) "Lack of dependence and connections": Who does not tell him: his own will.

The concept of "will" coincides with the concept of "desire" in the designation of the internal stimulus, the impulse of the individual, his readiness for action. This conceptual feature includes the following cognitive models:

1) "Inner need": "conscious striving for something": the will to win; "desire, demand": the will of the people.

2) "The process of manifesting one's will": the expression of one's will

The concept of "will" correlates with the concept of "strength", in the meaning of "character property", finds realization in the following cognitive models:

1) "Inner ability": "the ability to control one's actions": to gather the will into a fist; "the ability to control actions": education of will, iron will; "perseverance, perseverance": willpower.

2) "The external manifestation of the will": "the ability to fulfill desires and achieve goals": Will and work give wonderful shoots. If the will is firm, you will always achieve the goal; "overcoming difficulties": Where the will is straining like a bowstring, there the ant overcomes the lion. An iron will is not everyone's lot. From idleness, stupidity is gained, the will is tempered in work.

The conceptual analysis showed that the will in the meaning of power expresses the right to choose, one's own or imposed by force, by the will of the elder or the strong:

1) "Influence on someone": "the ability to control someone": to give free rein; "to be dependent on someone": to be in someone's will, not to be in their will, to be under someone's will, forced; "coercion": to impose their will; "to restrict rights": to force (to subjugate).

2) "Inner independence from anyone": "to control oneself": to be at one's own will, to own one's own will.

As we can see, the conceptual component of the concept of "will" has a logically ordered structure organized in the form of a frame, which consists of hierarchically organized cognitive models. The components of a concept overlap, overlap, and differ in their degree of abstraction.

Etymological analysis of the concept of "will"

The motivating feature of the concept "will" is encoded in the semantic structure of the lexeme expressing it, and can be identified through an etymological analysis of the concept.

The lexeme "volya" belongs to the Indo-European language family, in M. Fasmer's dictionary it is represented as follows: 1) "desire", "willing", "of one's own free will", "the will of expression": wollen "to want", etc.-ind. varas "desire, choice" ^[15]; 2) "power", "force" (power, influence, the ability to command, command): lit. valia "volya", ltsh. vala "strength, power" ^[15]; 3) "choice" (the possibility of selection, to take the preferred); avesta. vara – "will, selection" ^[15]; 4) willpower: "iron will", "show will"; 15) Fate: "God's will".

Over time, the concept of "will" under study acquires new meanings. At the present stage, "will" is considered as a psychological property of a person: "the ability to achieve a goal and fulfill one's desires; the ability to control and regulate one's actions, overcome internal and external obstacles." Will is identified with independence, strength, stubbornness, determination, and courage. Will is a personality trait that reflects a tendency to choose and struggle motives ^[16].

The value and figurative component of the concept of "will"

Proverbs and sayings accumulate folk wisdom, appreciation of life, experience and thoughts of the people. Russian folk art emphasizes the undoubted value of the concept of "will". Will is mostly evaluated positively: Freedom is most expensive. The Russian people have a positive attitude towards freedom: By choice, it is better than bondage. However, the analysis of proverbs and stable expressions has demonstrated that the concept of "will" is actualized between two extreme poles of evaluation — positive and negative, which indicates the inconsistency of the Russian soul.

Volya, as boundless and immense freedom, is felt by the Russian person as something most important and necessary: Volya is his own god. God will give you free rein, and you will forget your bondage. A bird's will is more precious than a golden cage. A free sparrow and a nightingale in a cage are envious. One's own will is most precious. A living being is irresistibly striving for freedom, "grabbing" it, fighting for it: No matter how hard you rivet a horse, it still rushes to freedom. The horse has no oats, but he rushes to freedom. We took the will, we drive all over the field. Your will, but our field: we don't want to fight, but we won't give up the fields.

At the same time, preference is given to captivity: The treasure has its own will - and the devils guard it. If you're at will, you'll cry your fill. Most often, a negative attitude is associated with the abuse of freedom. "The will takes over a person", "manifests itself in his spontaneous and unconscious actions", "in the denial of any limits, boundaries, the extreme moment of the manifestation of the will is the Russian rebellion" ^[17]. Suddenly gained freedom can turn into evil: To give free rein, there is no good to be seen. Let yourself go, it will lead you into a dashing fate. Damn it, he'll swallow you alive. The will spoils a good wife. The will will lead to captivity. Give him free rein, he'll turn everything around, Give your heart free rein, he'll lead you into bondage. Don't let a fool loose in the field. Thus, the will must be regulated by "reason", "mind", otherwise it can lead to trouble: The will is good with the mind and with money. Whose will is older, that is more right. A person is responsible for his own freedom and actions: Whose will is the answer. To live according to the will, to die in the field.

Will, identified with power, submission, and coercion, is evaluated differently in Russian folklore. On the one hand, the Russian spirit is characterized by humility and a sense of hopelessness before higher powers: The will of God, and the judgment of the tsar. Create (judge) God wills his will. God's will cannot be overridden. You will not be above God's will. The power of the Lord, the will of God, His holy will. You will not submit a request to the will of God. Live not as you want, but as God commands. On the other hand, the Russian people are not ready to put up with harassment.: Step on the throat, yes, of your own free will. The dog is free to bark at the lord. In general, the negative and ironic attitude on the part of those who are in "slave" conditions dominates: Captivity, captivity — the boyar's court: you eat while walking, you sleep while standing. And the bear dances in captivity. Bondage rides, bondage dances, bondage sings songs. Cows from the field are welcome to the shepherd.

In Russian culture, will is associated with the presence of money: It is good to be smart with money. At the auction, money is free, and merchants and sellers are all under bondage. At the same time, freedom is above material prosperity: Even if I chew conifers, I live in freedom. Even on a conifer, but on your volka. Even if we're starving, we're living in freedom. At least a crumb of bread, but your own will.

Volya is associated in the Russian mind with the vast steppe expanses, where one can move freely and without restrictions and do whatever one wants. The image of space is an important component in the structure of the concept of "will": The wolf is free, and howls freely. Cattle are free. The concept of "will" correlates with the concept of "field", a safe open space where the life of a Russian person takes place: Whose field is his will. There are four wills in an open field: either there, or here, or anywhere else. In the field of freedom: those who come to the field are not considered native. We took the will, we drive all over the field. The color in the field is a man on the outside. Free will, a walking path.

Will as a "good" is associated with "white light". Since ancient times, "light" has symbolized space, spaciousness, and forward movement. Free light is given to the will. Free light, the whole world, space. The free world has not become a wedge. If I had my way, there would be a free world. The free world is not sweet either, if there is no sweet one. I wouldn't look at the free world. He's been sitting here without legs for thirty years. And I have not seen the light of white, free. The will warms the heart like the sun: Why don't you go out into the open and let your sadness run wild? It's light to the soul in the sun-Iola. The heart is warm from the clear rays.

Volya is a "private", "expensive" space where a Russian person can act in accordance with his desires and preferences: His own volyushka razdolyushka. I have my own will. At least a crumb of bread, but your will. By choice, it is better than bondage. The girls say: we have our own will to walk. You want it as you want it; if you don't want it, it's your will again. I turn it around as I want.

As we can see, the concept of "will" is evaluated ambiguously in Russian culture. The will is good, and is considered good when it is controlled by the mind and reason. On the other hand, unbridled, unconscious, and sometimes suddenly acquired freedom turns into "evil," "the worst, dashing fate." The Russian worldview reflects the understanding that it is not worth "letting loose" an uncontrolled force that can lead to destruction. Will is a spiritual value, and the Russian people understand that material wealth has power, but freedom is more important to them.

Freedom in the meaning of freedom is most often associated with nature, where a Russian person feels truly free, where he does not belong to anyone and is not bound by any conditions or contracts. The concept of "will" is associated in the minds of the Russian people with such metaphors as "bird", "horse", "wolf", "dog". Will is identified with "space", "vastness", "field", while bondage is with "cramped space", "cage". Gaining the will is not just a transition into infinite space, it is a connection with the "white light", with the whole surrounding world. The Russian national character is characterized by a "striving for freedom." A representative of the Russian ethnic group will sacrifice the "good" for the sake of freedom. In some cases, a person is willing to put up with a state of bondage when it comes to higher powers.

Conclusion

The concept of "will" has a voluminous, branched structure, which consists of many interacting components. In the course of its evolution, the concept consolidated all new conceptual features, abstracted, and gradually turned from a sensory image into a mental one. As a result, the concept of "will" becomes one of the most important fragments of the cultural picture of the world, as it affects significant aspects of human existence. It is impossible to imagine a person's life in society without will, freedom, desire, strength, and power. Will – "energy", "might", "readiness for action", "special mobilization", "energy boost", "action".

The will is not only thought of, but also evaluated and experienced. In the Russian national worldview, there is an ambivalent attitude towards the will. On the one hand, freedom is praised, it is the highest value for the Russian people. On the other hand, the will is condemned as a spontaneous and unconscious energy that leads to destruction. The will must be controlled by the mind.

The concept of "will" is a key element of the Russian linguistic consciousness, reflecting the complex interaction between freedom, responsibility and the cultural and historical context. Studying this concept in the framework of cognitive linguistics helps to better understand the Russian mentality and the uniqueness of the national worldview.