Językowo-kulturowy obraz słomy w polskiej lingwokulturze. Szkic etnolingwistyczny
Linguo-cultural view of straw in Polish linguaculture. An ethnolinguistic approach

Summary/Abstract: The conceptualisation of straw in urban culture (and the literary variety of Polish) and that in folk culture (and the folk variety of the language) are different. In the former, straw has a low position and symbolises what is mediocre, impermanent, or of little value, like chaff or pea shells. In contrast, in Polish folk culture, based on traditional farming and cultivation of grains, straw enjoys a much higher status it is valued as a material in insulation and production of valuable items, such as mats, baskets, containers for grain, shoes, beehives, toys, or decorations. Its linguo-cultural image is rich in positive associations. In customs and auguries straw is treated as a magical medium mediating between that which is alive and that which is dead. It is linked with fertility and has erotic symbolism. The folk stereotype of straw proposed here is based on the tenets of the cognitive definition.

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