The Configuration of the Semantic Space of Juridical Verbs with the Subject «Investigator» in English

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the semantic space of juridical verbs with the subject «Investigator» in English. The theoretical part of the research combines some aspects of «verb-centric» conception and «quantitative linguistics». The notion of a «juridical verb» correlates with a juridical social sphere. The diagnostic semantic features which constitute the structural elements of the semantic space are substantiated. The semantic features are organized into semantic plans. The features of three semantic plans, being «categorical», are correlated with the situational subject «Investigator». These features are: «processual law» («adject-legal» plan), «purpose-oriented» law («adject-functional» plan) and «indefinite» situation («teleological» plan). The «hierarchical» semantic plan is identified as «subcategorical», the features of which differentiate the more concrete subjects within the juridical situation «preliminary investigation» with the situational subject «investigator». These subjects are: «Prosecutor» (the feature «dominant» subject), «Detective» (the feature «subordinate» subject) and «Detective’s Assistant» («subordinate dominant» subject). The features of «criterial» plans are used as additional semantic markers within the semantic space: the «temporal» plan (the features: «retrospective» and «prospective» situations), the «adject-substantive» plan (the features: «material» and «person» adject), the «interactive» plan (the features: «convergent», «divergent»). By means of cluster analysis the semantic features were grouped into three clusters: «Detective», «Detective’s Assistant» and «Prosecutor». Within each cluster the «nuclear» features (constituting the structure of a ‘typal’ meaning) and «periph- eral» features are revealed. The clusters are described and compared on the basis of several cluster criteria: «plan variability of a cluster», «feature variability of a cluster», «nuclear variability of a cluster», «cluster variability of a plan».