KEY CONCEPTS OF UKRAINIAN DISCOURSE (concepts soul, heart, mind, fate, mother, love, freedom)

Abstract

The article deals with key concepts of Ukrainian culture – heart, soul, mind, destiny, freedom, mother, love. It has been found that researchers differ in a number of key concepts, but the status of these units is unmistakable. The comparative background gives grounds to consider these concepts as unique concepts of ethnic culture that characterize Ukrainian sensuality and rationality, dreaminess and pragmatism, belief in the possibility of influencing their destiny, aspiration for freedom. The purpose of the article is to outline the range of basic Ukrainian concepts and, on the basis of their comparison with the corresponding units in other languages, to identify a nationally specific one. The Ukrainian model of personality is based on the opposition of the body of the soul (the heart) and the main thing is the sphere of irrational uncontrolled mind. For Ukrainians, a typical image-symbol is a fate that indirectly reflects the national traits of character (the ability to endure life trials, patience, and sometimes obedience), but the Ukrainian fate is not as inevitable and inevitable as fatu’s, it can be influenced. The mother appears as a symbol of life, family, harmony, happiness. The Ukrainians deeply respected their mothers, who guarded the home hearth, gave birth to the heirs, brought care and comfort to the family. In the Ukrainian linguistic culture, besides the mentioned common features, the concept mother includes two other cognitive spheres: the mother – the Virgin, Mother – the earth. In the plan of national culture, Ukrainian concepts of lubov and kohania, which in other ethnic cultures are not divided, are of interest. Freedom of the Ukrainian people, their mighty internal impulse to the will of the two-vectors – collective freedom and individual freedom – which testifies to the complexity and depth of the concept.