SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS OF LEXICAL UNITS RELATED TO FOOD
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37547/Keywords:
lexical units, sociolinguistic properties, food-related lexicon, English-language corpora, cultural values, communicative strategies, semantic motivation, metaphorization, cultural specificity, borrowings, polysemy, discourse functions.Abstract
Food-related lexical units constitute a distinct and culturally loaded segment of vocabulary with unique semantic, pragmatic, structural, and sociolinguistic properties. Despite their ubiquity, these units have not been comprehensively examined as an independent lexical field. This study investigates key characteristics of food-related lexicon, focusing on semantic motivation, metaphorization, cultural specificity, borrowings, polysemy, and discourse functions. A qualitative linguistic analysis of food-related terms across English-language corpora and secondary research reveals that food lexicon forms a highly dynamic subsystem influenced by sociocultural factors, globalization, and evolving food practices. Findings demonstrate that food terminology not only reflects material culture but also operates metaphorically, shaping expressions of emotion, evaluation, identity, and social relations. The study contributes to understanding how everyday vocabulary becomes a marker of cultural values and communicative strategies.
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