Stereotyped Zoonyms in Rusin Phraseology

The article regards stereotypes for presenting zoonyms in Rusin phraseology in the psycho-cognitive aspect of ethnic mentality. The zoonymic metaphors are considered to be double-natured: originally, the animal character epitomizes human features, and then, the human is seen through animalist characteristics. The ability to metaphorically nominate a human in the phraseological world concept is mostly revealed in the names of domestic animals. Stereotyped zoonyms in Rusin phraseology are based on the anthropomorphic analogy: zoonyms are used to analyze a person’s psycho-emotional and physiological states and characteristics. Zoonyms are quite frequent in paradoxes in which folk humor can be easily traced: there they creatively trigger the instances of irony as a basis for generating some witticisms. Zoomorphic metaphors are semantically dominated by lowered emotive estimating features being the most powerful expressive means to lower the addressee’s status. Negatively charged zoomorphic nomination is mainly connected with features of character, behavior, intellect, physique, social status, and psychology, which compare a person with a beast. Zoonyms are used to denote the relations of space, time, measure, and quantity. Stereotypically related phraseology units with zoonym components had been shaped in the Rusin culture through naïve beliefs, traditions and myths. As evaluating stereotypes, zoonyms are found in curses or biddings of grief, jokingly uttered. Presented in linguistically arranged texts, zoonymic stereotypes appear to reveal strong connections between language, culture and ethnic entity, as well as main features of Rusin mentality.