SYNTAGMATIC RELATIONS OF THE LEXMES ВЛАСНІСТЬ AND POSSESSION IN THE COMPARATIVE ASPECT

Abstract

This research article undertakes a synchronic exploration of the nouns ВЛАСНІСТЬ and POSSESSION in the Ukrainian and English languages using a corpus-based methodology to investigate their semantics and collocational patterns. The study aims to uncover the specific characteristics of these nouns in both languages, analyse their collocations with other parts of speech (including nouns, verbs, and adjectives), and compare the obtained results. Methodologically, the research employs a corpus-driven approach, drawing on extensive data from ГРАК, BNC, and COCA (the Corpus of Contemporary American English). The choice of the research object is based on the frequency rankings of ВЛАСНІСТЬ and POSSESSION: 2481st in ГРАК, 3077th in BNC, and 3451st in COCA, reflecting their prominence in the linguistic landscape. Scientifically, the novelty of this study lies in its comprehensive examination of cross-linguistic similarities and differences, which influence the interpretation of ВЛАСНІСТЬ and POSSESSION concepts and contextual usage. It has been revealed that in Ukrainian, the noun ВЛАСНІСТЬ is predominantly used in legal contexts. Meanwhile, in British and American English, the noun POSSESSION, which can function as a head noun or a modifier, not only denotes ownership of something or someone but also has additional meanings related to business, politics, and paranormal phenomena, and can indicate dependence and spiritual connections. The study's findings highlight nearly identical collocations with verbs in Ukrainian and British English, such as мати + ВЛАСНІСТЬ / have + POSSESSION” and повернути + ВЛАСНІСТЬ / recover + POSSESSION, despite varying usage frequencies. Additionally, significant syntagmatic differences emerge with adjectives: In Ukrainian, ВЛАСНІСТЬ often combines with adjectives indicating territorial affiliation, whereas in English, the attributes denoted by adjectives paired with the noun POSSESSION vary. The results of the conducted analysis can be applied in various fields, including contrastive linguistics, lexicology, stylistics, and translation studies. The research also highlights the importance of context and the variant of English for the interpretation and usage of nouns, which is practically significant for students, educators, translators, and linguists. The article covers only certain aspects that require further study, particularly through the application of a corpus-based approach.