On the means and motives for words expressing negative assessment in the Russian and Serbian language (based on synonymic sets)

In this paper we analyze the members of the synonymic sets whose dominants are the basic words expressing negative assessment in Russian and Serbian, i.e. Rus. плохой and Serb. los. It has been established that the negative assessment is derived from the positive, as it has been formed by a combination of some formal means of expressing negation, such as prefixes ne-, bez-, and root words with positive connotations. The internal word form is the main source for investigation of the motivations that enable words to develop a secondary meaning expressing negative assessment. It is shown that whenever the internal word form is identified as a metaphor, it contrasts with the metaphor used to express positive assessment: what is bad is conceptualized as pointing downward. Other metaphors reveal a general meaning whereby negatively evaluated objects are removed from the spotlight, in contrast to the conceptualization of what is good as visually salient. Other motivations identified in the root of the synonyms are based on unpleasant contact with objects, such as waste, refuse or other dirty, unwanted and unnecessary things. Another group of motivations includes reactions to spoiled food, disease and the absence of quality or aesthetic value in an object. Furthermore, some forms of unacceptable verbal or physical behaviour can also serve as sources of internal word forms for negative assessment. The paper demonstrates that the linguistic worldview underlying the expression of negative assessment in Russian and Serbian is almost identical, since the same motivations and linguistic means are used.