The Axiology of Conventional Faunal Metaphors in Polish and Italian
The Axiology of Conventional Faunal Metaphors in Polish and Italian

Summary/Abstract: The issue of the axiology of Polish and Italian conventional faunal metaphors used with reference to a man is discussed in the paper. Animal names used figuratively have mostly pejorative connotations, which was discussed by Leach (1964), Tokarski (1999), Sosnowska (1999), Skawiński (2002) and Peisert (2004: 85-98), since a man is considered superior to any animal, yet some of them have positive notions, especially the names of young animals, which can be explained by the mechanism of the so-called sweet reaction. So far attention has been paid to the pragmatic aspect of implementation of faunal axiological metaphors in a variety of communication situations (Szerszunowicz 2004). Faunal metaphors are culturally determined and culture specific, therefore in a comparative perspective similarities, conditioned by the influence of the common European heritage as well as differences resulting from the national identity reflected in the language are also observed in the case of the axiology of animal terms used figuratively in Polish and Italian. The aim of the paper is to present a comparative perspective of axiological faunal lexis used metaphorically in the two languages compared as well as to discuss which animal names tend to be metaphorized and which classes of animal terms are used as typical means of negative and positive evaluations expressed in an informal variety of language.

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