The Image of a Malevolent Person Based on Language Data: Semantic and Motivational Aspects
Authors:   Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin (Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation), Malkova Yana V. 
Published: June 2021

The article aims at constructing the image of a malevolent person based on language data. Lexical and phraseological units, found in Russian dialect dictionaries and in the unpublished catalog of the Toponymic Expedition of the Ural Federal University, are the research materials. While studying the image of an unfriendly person, the author rests upon the method of ethnolinguistic portraiture that includes a semantic and motivational analysis of lexical and phraseological units belonging to the field and use of a wide cultural background. Besides, the work reconstructs and etymologically interprets a number of language facts. The article presents the material on the basis of the thematic principle. First, the author focuses on the interpretation of language facts that explicate ideas on the appearance and behavior of a hostile person. Then characteristics of the interaction of a malevolent person with the society come into the field of view. In conclusion, data that indicate the assessment of an unfriendly person by other members of society are given. As a result of the study, the author proves the existence of the specifics of the manifestation of a malevolent person’s image in traditional culture. A malevolent person is attributed with certain behavioral features. In general, according to the language data, a malevolent person is characterized with dismal or mean appearance (Vologda region ser’yoznyy “tough, malevolent”, Arkhangelsk region volchanoy “malevolent, mean, unfriendly”). A hostile person is attributed with a specific indirect type of looking (Pomor dialect kosukha “a mean, unfriendly woman”), which can witch you. A malevolent person can also express his/her displeasure verbally, by swearing, arguing, insulting others (Middle Ural dialect naperekoserdiyakh “disunitedly” ← Kurgan, Chelyabinsk, Vologda regions perekoserdie(‘e) “objection, bickering, squabble; quarrel”). The most important feature is aggression coming from this person (Perm region vreditel’nitsa “a malevolent, hostile woman”). A malevolent person can harm someone, that is why people are beware of him/her. An indication of a malevolent person’s existence among fellow residents occupies an important place in his/her language portrait. In particular, such a person does not strive to comply with the society rules (Vyatka region nesovetno “disunitedly”), to preserve relations with others (Arkhangelsk region nesusedlivyy “disunited”), and that is why s/he becomes excluded from his/her group (Karelia region nesoyuznyy “unfriendly, disunited”). Other society members evaluate such malevolence manifestation as a violation of the most important rules and therefore disapprove of it (Karelia region nesovestno “disunitedly, arguing”). The article also interprets a number of lexical and phraseological units, which have not been commented in the linguistic literature (kichkovat’, butuzit’sya, nevlagodne, kokora, zaedlivyy, karaka, chyornaya derevnya, kak Aga i Palaga, nesuyutnyy, prikayutnyy, etc.), in a semantic and motivational and etymological way.