Figurative expression of semantic features the “color” and “smell” of the dendronym acacia in Russian poetic texts of the 19th–21st centuries

Abstract

The article examines the features of the figurative expression of the semantic features “color” and “smell” of the dendronym acacia in Russian poetic texts of the 19th–21st centuries. The descriptive, structural-semantic, contextual, corpus analysis methods are used. The registry of images of comparative tropes representing the semantic signs of “color” and “smell” has been established: acacia — snow, gray, fire, whitish stars, white coronation, bride, snow-white mystery, fluff, tears, gold, amber, sunlight, domes, southerner, gentle spirit, honey, molasses, hops, spicy smell, fragrant network, transparent, hot smell, perfume, spicy wave, fragrant pearls, snow-white haze, etc. The evolution of general poetic images of comparison in terms of their formal and lexical variation is described: word-formation or synonymous replacement of the reference word; replenishment with new images of comparison based on semantic adjacency; interaction of several figurative associations in the same context. The author defines the means of individualization of traditional images of comparison due to anthropomorphic tropes (acacia, like a mother, threw back a silver strand; acacia, covered with a white plaid, awakened from sleep, etc.), expansion the metaphor with concretizing turns (the smell flies like a white stork; a smile; a snow-white swallowtail), due to connection images of comparison of different thematic spheres (aromas of gentle streams, etc.). It was established that the main functional load of the identified figurative associations is correlated with the strengthening of the expression of clarity in the transmission of the distinctive ontological properties of acacia — lush flowering in clusters and aroma.The idea of the complex visualization of the acacia lexeme as an important fragment of the figurative field of dendronyms in Russian poetic texts is given.

Keywords:

dendronym acacia, comparative tropes, Russian poetry, semantic feature