The structure of the lexical-semantic field "Benefit" in the dialects of the Russian language

Abstract

This article discusses the lexical-semantic field “Benefit” from the point of view of structure in the dialects of the Russian language. Based on lexicographic sources (Dictionary of Russian Dialects, 52 issues), the composition of the lexico-semantic field was determined. The analysis revealed the core of the field – the lexemes benefit/behoof and suitability/pleasure/fit, the near-nuclear zone – gain and the ability to distinguish two subfields in terms of the expressed evaluation: “Benefit/ contributing to benefit, positive result” and “Benefit/gain”. The result of the study showed the following. Firstly, the segmentation of the first subfield (“Useful as something suitable for the subject”, “Useful as something contributing, helping”, “Useful as something healing, curing’) reflects the interaction of the lexico-semantic field “Benefit” with the lexical fields “(something) Suitable”, “Assistance/help”, “Treatment”. The lexico-semantic field “Assistance/help” also intersects with the field “Profit”. The subfield “Benefit/gain” is difficult to divide into segments, it closely interacts with the lexico-semantic field “Profit”. Secondly, the dialects retain a trace of the general development of the idea of the useful, associated in the early and valueundeveloped consciousness with the satisfaction of vital needs and with a general (public) interest, with the idea of the useful as essential, necessary for the physical existence of a person (compare the derivatives god(n)-, dob(n)-, gain in the center of the field; possessions, feeding, etc. in the near periphery). Thirdly, the structure of the dialect field “Benefit” reflected the complication of the concept of benefit, useful under the influence of the Church Slavonic vision: the actualization of benefit as useful for the soul and body, for health, its maintenance, “correction”. This affected the composition of the lexemes of the center of the field, which included derivatives of polg/polz- with the meaning “to heal”, and the establishment of close interaction of the lexico-semantic field “Benefit” with the lexico-semantic field “Treatment/healing” (treat in a quack way, correct, cure, etc.). Fourthly, the analysis of the lexicosemantic field “Benefit” in dialects shows the complication of the concept of the benefit of the new time from the point of view of evaluation, associated with the increasing discrepancy between personal and general (public) interests (the basis for the allocation of subfields of the lexico-semantic field). But among dialect speakers, this restructuring of values associated with changes in social, industrial relations is still poorly expressed, retains echoes of community consciousness, which is evident when comparing the semantic structure of the word greed, its derivatives and, in general, in the semantics of most of the vocabulary of the second subfield, associated with the designation of material benefits, avail, profits, and bearing a positive evaluation