Фoрмы выражения представлений о смерти в говораx южныx аукштайтов

ENThis chapter examines the expression of death in the dialects of southern Aukštaitija. The study aims to reveal the knowledge about death in the language used in Southern Lithuania. The analysis shows that the people in southern Aukštaitija perceive death both as a living being embodied in the medieval image of the Grim Reaper and as an abstract image. In dialectal discourse, death is more often conceptualized through abstract metaphors: death – destiny, death – salvation, death – end/journey, death – a valuable thing. The concepts of destiny and value are the most frequent ones in the sources. Such conceptualization shows that the southern Aukštaitian viewpoint of death (and afterlife) is an intertwining of two religions: pagan and Christian. Dialectical sources, by revealing the perception of death and the attitude towards it, express the folk philosophy of being. Death is accepted by southern Aukštaitians as an inevitability, as a natural end of human life on earth, which brings a new beginning. Death is seen as a measure that evaluates a person’s quality of life and makes everyone equal. Keywords: death; nomination; conceptualization; metaphor; Aukštaitija. [From the publication]

• Etnologija / Ethnology
• Kalbotyra / Linguistics