Językowy obraz świata w badaniach etymologicznych
The linguistic worldview in etymological research

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents examples illustrating the capabilities of studying the linguistic worldview based on etymology. This issue is relatively rarely discussed despite the fact that the material based on which it can be presented is virtually unlimited. The method applied when studying the linguistic worldview based on etymology is examining the sematic motivation of individual words through analysing their structure, their position against their Proto-Slavic background, and relations with Indo-European cognates. The aim of the research is to capture the moment when the word changed its meaning or etymon (a Proto-Slavic or Proto-Indo-European word from which the examined word was derived). Discovering the relations between the old and new meaning of the word helps to answer the questions about our ancestors’ associations with individual notions. One of the discussed examples is the association of work with servitude and hardship, another is the association of love with desire.

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