THE ADVANCED SCIENCE JOURNAL
SEMANTICS OF LEXICAL UNITS
THAT DENOTE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS IN MODERN
AMERICAN ENGLISH
O. Shumeiko
Juri Fed’kovych Chernivtsi National University, Ukraine
[email protected]
Abstract
We have studied lexemes that denote negative emotive concepts in modern American English.
The processes of conceptualization and verbalization of emotive concepts in modern American
English is determined by integrative cognitive-linguistic-cultural approach to the structure of emotive
concepts and their verbal representation. We have specified the denotations of the emotive vocabulary
and substantiated its linguistic and cultural status for the American English language worldview.
Introduction
Emotions are specific forms of interaction of a human being and environment. They help us to
cognate the world and define our place in it.
Linguistics of emotions (emotiology) usually defines “emotion” as the form of world reflection in
human conscience to denote some mental experience, commotion and feeling [12, 55-56].
Emotions are closely connected with culture [2]. Their role in culture and significance of the
culture in formation and conceptualization of emotions is massive. The research of this relation
reveals both universal and specific features in terms of higher/lower emotional agitation,
greater/minor emotional sturdiness, different force or intensity and even profundity of emotion. That’s
why native speakers from different countries may see the world somewhat different, through their
own language worldview.
Linguistics usually differentiates between the two notions: language worldview and conceptual
worldview. The core of the conceptual worldview forms the information stated in notions, and the
language worldview is based on the knowledge fixed in words and word combinations of a certain
language [1]. In fact, language forms our concepts about environment and helps us to objectify the
world we live in, state and express our ideas and thoughts [10]. To fix this knowledge in lexical units,
each person should have cognitive abilities to categorize and conceptualize the world.
The process of conceptualization is a type of cognitive activity which deals with marking out
structural types of person’s knowledge and its comprehension [8, 200]. Whereas categorization refers
to unification of similar and identical elements into classes or categories or “rubrics” of conscience
formed as the result of person’s cognition of the world [8, 258]. These processes are tightly connected
with construction of “semantic fields” or “semantic groups” – totality of lexical units with common
semantic features [8, 530].
The field of emotions, which is formed in human conscience, is represented by emotive concepts.
In emotiology “emotive concept” is understood as the mental unit of high abstraction, which fulfils
the function of mental regulation; reflects knowledge of the world of a certain nation; includes the
notion, image and evaluation [5,115].
The category of evaluation is considered to be universal and defines the mode of the emotion [3,
9; 18, 72; 15]. Everything that we like, adore, have interest in is considered to be positive for us. And
on the contrary, all that we hate are afraid or ashamed of has negative evaluation.
In psychology negative emotion is interpreted as some kind of “alert”, “a cry from the heart” that
the situation is fatal for the organism; and positive emotion is a signal of well-being regained [4, 79;
11]. But, scientists say that there are different kinds of body damage for every negative emotion and
various types of benefit for every positive emotion [15; 7, 114-117]. For example, negative emotions
may be provoked by pragmatic information shortage; positive emotions may show themselves when
the information received extends possibility of subject’s necessaries of life to be satisfied in contrast
to their extant prediction [9, 5-26].
Preservation and transmission of the conceptual system “positive/negative emotions” occur in
verbal verbalization of emotive concepts and information they represent. Cheerful, sweet, sometimes
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funny lexical and phraseological units contain positive evaluation, while negative nuances have wider
range: such words and word combinations are disapproving, reproachful, brutal, abusive [6, 46].
The aim of the research
To define lexical units which denote negative emotions in modern American English and explore
their cognitive nature.
Data and methods
Analytical account of lexical units that denote negative emotive concepts in American English is
carried out synchronically. The data are retrieved from Macmillan English Dictionary (American
English edition), Heinle’s Newbury House Dictionary of American English, Longman Dictionary of
American English, The New Oxford American Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary of American
English, Webster’s Dictionary on the basis of lexicographic analysis of vocabulary entries.
A vocabulary entry represents the results of defining of mental operations carried out by human
conscience in the process of understanding both real and virtual worlds. These results are fixed in a
dictionary (for example, American English Dictionary) in the form of explanatory text called
definition. Definitions manifest human ideas, notions, experience and knowledge about the world, i.e.
the worldview of a nation verbally.
Having analyzed dictionaries of American English, the results of overall selection showed 72
examples of the emotive concepts having categorical feature – polarity of emotion. Among them 17
dominants that form the semantic field “negative emotions” were singled out for further analysis.
With the help of component analysis we have examined definitions of each dominant to ascertain its
meaningful structure. All the selected semes (the smallest units of meaning) were generalized and
represented in a chain of conceptual features that form the notion of the emotive concept.
Results and discussion
Negative connotative state of human psyche is connected with such changes in human organism
as: mental activity downfall, low spirits, working capacity worsening. They “occur when we evaluate
things as going worse than we expect, when our goals and projects fail, or are frustrated, when
someone behaves worse than anticipated” [19, 10]. Thus, one of the criteria of defining negative
emotion is dissatisfaction with the environment, rejection of the world and its aversion. As a rule, in
psychology such emotions as anger, fear, sloth, envy, shame, guilt, depression, anxiety are considered
to be negative [16, 210; 13, 127; 19, 10; 20, 121]. But, exact number of negative emotions is
indeterminate while the limits of differentiating between positive and negative emotions are quite
fuzzy in psychology.
The analysis of vocabulary entries showed that dominant negative emotions which express an
attempt to avoid everything perceived as threat or danger in American English are represented by the
following lexical units: anguish, anxiety, boredom, depression, doubt, despair, embarrassment, ennui,
fear, grief, humiliation, sadness, shame, sorrow, suspicion, terror, loneliness. Negative features of
these emotions are realized in the following definitions: uneasiness of mind; extreme pain, distress;
the state of being weary; a mental illness; without hope of relief; uncertainty, lack of sureness; feeling
of discomfort; s.t. bad will happen; because of knowing one has done wrong; a condition of being
alone; dissatisfaction with life; dejection, poor concentration; inability to sleep; mortification. All of
them are connected with unpleasant feelings of primary pain and turmoil. That’s why they express
negative attitude towards the world and make the part of the semantic field “negative emotions”.
On the basis of existence of common semes, the semantic field “negative emotions” is subdivided
into five microfields.
Semantic microfield DEPRESION
According to American English dictionaries depression has the following meanings: depression
is a feeling of temporary sadness; a feeling of being extremely unhappy: a psychiatric disorder
showing symptoms such as persistent feelings of hopelessness, dejection, poor concentration, lack of
energy, inability to sleep, and, sometimes, suicidal tendencies [14]. As we see depression is defined as
the feeling of lack of faith connected with weakness of mind and disinterest in life represented by
feeling sad/unhappy, psychiatric disorder, poor concentration, lack of energy, inability to sleep that
may even lead to suicide (suicidal tendencies). If we follow the semantic link of depression and
emotional state ennui, we’ll see that ennui has the same characteristics as depression: ennui means
a feeling of being bored and having no interest in anything: weariness and dissatisfaction with life
that results from a loss of interest or sense of excitement [14]. The same goes with boredom - a feeling
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of being bored by something tedious. On this basis ennui and boredom make the part of the semantic
microfield depression.
Semantic microfield DESPAIR
Lexical units of emotive states sorrow, grief, loneliness, sadness express deep sadness. Compare:
sorrow is deep sadness, (syn.) melancholy: a feeling of deep sadness caused by a loss or misfortune
[17]; grief means great sadness, especially as a result of a death [14]; loneliness is a feeling of being
alone and sad [17], sadness is a feeling or showing unhappiness, grief, or sorrow [14]; These emotive
states are semantically linked to emotion of despair by virtue of existence of semes deep sadness,
great sadness, alone, sad, unhappiness when there is no hope: despair is sadness without hope of
relief [21].
Semantic microfield EMBARRASSMENT
Emotive states of shame, humiliation express the feeling of being demeaned: shame is a sad
feeling because of knowing one has done wrong: the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of
something dishonorable or improper [14]; humiliation is the feeling or condition of being lessened in
dignity or pride [17]. They are constituents of the semantic microfield embarrassment which
comprises all these features: a feeling of shame, discomfort, or painful self-consciousness, or
humiliation [17].
Semantic microfield FEAR
Fear is a an unpleasant feeling of apprehension or distress caused by the presence or anticipation
of danger [14]. These features are also characteristic to doubt and terror defined as feelings of fear:
doubt is a feeling of uncertainty, lack of sureness [17] that is usually displayed in a state of fear.
Terror is an intense or overwhelming fear [17] and is characterized by high intensity of fear
experience.
Semantic microfield ANXIETY
This microfield is represented by emotions of anguish and suspicion. They express emotional
reaction to eventuality of psychic menace which may become apparent in case of nuisance,
unpredictable situations, change of circumstances: anguish means extreme anxiety or emotional
torment [14], suspicion is a feeling of something wrong: a belief that something wrong has happened
or that somebody may have committed a crime [14]. If we compare these definitions with that of
anxiety, we may see that anxiety covers the meanings of anguish and suspicion: anxiety is a feeling of
worry, nervousness or agitation, often about something that is going to happen [17].
The semantic field “negative emotions” has structural character (is subdivided into microfields)
and is characterized by semantic correlation between the elements of the field, systematics of these
relations, and interdependence of lexical units (Fig. 1).
Fig 1. Semantic correlation between the elements of the field “negative emotions”
The analysis of the definitions of negative connotative states of human mind showed the
dialectical relation between emotions and feelings in American English. All negative emotions are
mostly defined according to the following formulae:
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NEGATIVE EMOTION = FEELING: boredom = a feeling of being bored; sorrow a feeling of
deep sadness; loneliness is a feeling of being alone; embarrassment = a feeling of shame etc.;
NEGATIVE EMOTION = NEGATIVE EMOTION: despair = sadness; grief = sadness;
sadness = grief/sorrow; terror = fear etc.
Conclusions
We have defined 17 dominants of the semantic field “negative emotions” in America English,
explored their content and showed dialectical relation between emotions and feelings.
The semantic field “negative emotions” is subdivided into microfields DEPRESSION,
DESPAIR, EMBARRASSMENT, FEAR and ANXIETY. Each of them is characterized by semantic
correlations of its elements, mostly realized by the formula NEGATIVE EMOTION = NEGATIVE
EMOTION.
The dialectical relation between emotions and feelings consists in their synonymous usage when
the definition of the emotion is presented by means of construction a feeling of smth.
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