The significance and ambiguity of the lexeme naslednik in the Russian language

T.I. Galeev

Kazan Federal University, Kazan, 420008 Russia

E-mail: tigaleev@kpfu.ru

Received April 18, 2017

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Abstract

The paper is devoted to the analysis of the decline of polysemy of the lexeme naslednik (наследник 'heir') and its derivatives. In accordance with the purpose of the study, the following objectives have been set: to describe the semantic structure of the studied lexeme and its derivatives in the historical perspective for the considered time intervals; to trace the major changes in the morphemic and semantic structure of words; to describe the potential of the studied lexemes in terms of education of phraseology.

The following methods have been used to achieve the above objectives: lexicographic analysis, derivational analysis.

Particular attention has been paid to the connotative content of the investigated words and to the peculiarities of their use in artistic and religious texts, legal documents and publicism.

Based on the results of the study, the following conclusions have been made: in the Ancient Rus, the lexeme was polysemantic and used in the domestic and religious spheres. In the 18th – 19th centuries, the polysemy of the lexeme developed in politics and law. In the 21st century, the word again, as in the pre-Petrine era, was basically used in the meaning of preemnik (преемник 'successor').

The paper gives a number of examples proving that in the era when the title naslednik was common this lexeme acquired a different meaning, i.e., the heir of property, in legal documents. In speech, the usual nominations of naslednik and naslednitsa (наследница 'heiress') functioned (heirs to the traditions).

The obtained results are important for further study of particular sections of etymology, historical lexicology.

Keywords: social structure, class term, terminology, title, Russian mentality

Figure Captions

Fig. 1. The frequency of usage of the lexeme naslednik (наследник 'heir') (1800–2014).

Fig. 2. The frequency of usage of the lexeme naslednitsa (наследница 'heiress') (1800–2014).

Fig. 3. The frequency of usage of the lexeme naslednyi (наследный 'hereditary') (1800–2014).

Fig. 4. The frequency of usage of the lexeme nasledstvo (наследство 'inheritance') (1800–2014).

Fig. 5. The frequency of usage of the lexeme nasledie (наследие “heritage”) (1800–2014).

Fig. 6. The frequency of usage of the lexemes nasledstvo (наследство 'inheritance') and наследие (1900–2014).

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For citation: Galeev T.I. The significance and ambiguity of the lexeme naslednik in the Russian language. Uchenye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta. Seriya Gumanitarnye Nauki, 2017, vol. 159, no. 5, pp. 1106–1119. (In Russian)

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