Semantic shifts in verbalization of the ethical concept “boon” in electronic mass-media

Abstract

The relevance of the article is conditioned by the specific role of the Internet space nowadays. The authors analyze the changes of ethical semantics of the concept “boon” on the material of lexical units in modern electronic mass-media compared with the semantic field represented in explanatory dictionaries. On the material of explanatory dictionaries of Old Church Slavonic and Russian languages the authors conducted a diachronic analysis, described ethical semantic components of the concept, pointed out always actual meanings “kindness”, “gifts of the Holy Spirit”, “love”, “mercy”, “benefaction”. The novelty of the article is in pointing out the changes in the name of the concept - lexeme “boon”. The authors showed that abstract senses are increasing in its semantics - “everything, that is good”. But in the end of the XXth ethical senses actualize again, the senses which were characteristic for the concept in Old Russian period and were ideologically deactualized in the beginning and in the middle of the century. The analysis of modern electronic mass-media, which greatly influence national consciousness nowadays, showed that in this material the lexeme “boon” appears to be semantically incomplete, realizes additional function and only historically reminds us of one of the most important concepts of Russian language worldview. Therefore, we need “ethical censorship” in relation to the words verbalizing significant concepts of Russian mentality. The results of the research can be used in creating texts of different styles and genres for mass-media, in teaching Russian (as a non-native and native language), in releasing forensic linguistic expertise.