Authors’ names:
- Tatiana A. Burkova – Bashkir State Pedagogical University named after M. Akhmulla, Ufa / Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Ufa Bunch, Russia
Abstract:
The purpose of the study is to explicate the linguistic and cultural potential of German limnonyms associated with legends and tales. The article shows that legends and tales tied to the lake areas are formed as a result of the inability to explain natural phenomena occurring in and near lakes due to lack of scientific knowledge. Incomprehensible natural phenomena are explained by fictional stories, including those of a fantastic nature, supplemented by traditional motives. Lakes are special places, “alive” in their own way, keeping the memory of what happened a long time ago. They symbolize the history of culture and human relationships that remain important to us. Limnonyms are based on linguistic and cultural codes. Analysis of the “lake vocabulary” in German legends, where events or actions are locally tied to the limnonym, allows us to decode information of natural and cultural nature. Viewing limnonyms as a source for studying the lifestyle and worldview of residents, the study shows that, as signs of the geocultural space of the ethnosociety of Germany, in their semantic meanings limnonyms accumulate culturally specific information in the triad “water object — limnonym — event / action.” The article analyzes storylines related to limnonyms from German legends about mermaids, about water monsters, machinations of the devil, unrequited love, and holy springs. It is noted that the semantics of limnonyms includes such visually compelling images as nymphs, dragons, monasteries, and bells. Legends endow lakes with magical properties, such as bottomlessness, mystery, and healing power. The author shows how in legends and legends with lake vocabulary unexplained natural phenomena are transformed into storylines and used in the tourism business of modern Germany. Many legends about the lakes of Germany have become central ideas of marketing plans. Using legends and legends in a new interpretation, locals, proud to preserve their folk legends, emphasize the peculiarities of their historical past and contribute to the dissemination and popularization of national stories and legends among compatriots and guests of the country.
| Section | LANGUAGE AND CULTURE |
| DOI: | 10.47388/2072-3490/lunn2023-64-4-53-68 |
| Downloads | 98 |
| Key words | hydronymic nominations; German limnonyms; legends with the “limnonym” component; cultural code; information decoding |