Co o obrazie świata mówi nam gramatyka?
What does grammar tell us about the image of the world?

Summary/Abstract: Grammatical structures, both regular, strongly embedded in the language, and those which are exceptions from a synchronic viewpoint, are not only carriers of certain cultural messages, but also mirrors of the way of perceiving the world. The lingual representation of the world recorded in the grammar of the Polish language is com- prised, among others, of the following features: anthropocentrism, that is observable both in lexis and grammar; a hierarchical-patriarchal structure of society supported by, among other things, the masculine-personal gender and honorific pronouns; xenophobia and national megalomania, and efforts to avoid responsibility. The objective of this paper is to show how language influences the thinking and behaviour of people, and consequently it maintains a specific, negative autostereotype of Poles. The analysed material was excerpted from grammar textbooks originating from the end of the 18th century to the present day.

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