No abstract

The article contains a critical review of the interpretations of the concept cultural code and proposes the author’s own definition. The author points out versatility of the notion in question, describes its regulative, semiotic, cultural and cognitive aspects. The phenomenon of cultural codes is studied from the perspective of a linguistic approach, which is based on the idea of their imagery nature. The author describes an imagery code as a system of images that are part of an ethnoculture, are established in the practice of communication, are normative in nature and serve as signs of fragments of reality. It is emphasized that the basis of the images is the so-called cultural realia. Under the cultural realia in this work the author understands different objects of the real world directly related to a certain culture and somehow involved in any kind of human activity. It is noted that physical objects, gaining meaning in the mind of a person, become signs. Objects related to a particular area of reality, in the process of semiosis form cultural codes. The article analyzes a number of imagery codes of culture, describing them as codes of cognition and communication. In addition, the author studies the function of a cultural code, substantiating the fact that any sphere of reality perceived by the sensory organs can fulfill the function of a cultural code.

The author points out that the structure of language levels system is still a crucial linguistic problem, that research in this field is far from being completed and that there is a need for further improvement of the current models of language levels hierarchy. The author sets out his reflections that sprang up from striving to eliminate some contradictions in the existing models of the language levels system. Applying the method of comparative analysis, elements of the model theory and linguistic systemology, using the Russian language material supplemented by some sporadic examples from other languages, the researcher puts forward a number of amendments to the existing models of the language levels hierarchy – amendments intended for riddance of the above-mentioned contradictions. The author argues in favor of merging the morphological and lexical levels, as well as the level of syntax and that of utterances, and offers insertion of the word combinations level at which language units and speech units co-exist, forming two intersecting sub-levels. The expediency of combining the system of language levels and that of speech levels into a common speech-language space has been proved. Using the empirical material, the author demonstrates the level boundaries blurring and existence of inter-level gaps, which contain hybrid units that have typological features of both the upper level and the lower level. The following conclusion is drawn: the speech-language hierarchy must be schematically presented not so much a column of hard and fast lines as a linguistic continuum with smooth transitions between the levels.

The article is devoted to a description of cognitive attitude complexes that underlie linguistic thinking and function in the form of cultural codes. Such complexes form a cognitive substrate of linguistic thinking. It has ethnocultural and ethnolinguistic specificity. Research methods: analysis, comparison, descriptive method, interlinguistic comparison of mercantilist and military cultural codes on the basis of English and Russian linguocultural materials. Research results. It is outlined that the cognitive substrate of the linguistic thinking performs the function of modelling reality, acting as a complex of cultural codes. It is shown that the codes used by a person in his / her linguistic thinking are divided into internal and external ones. Internal codes are spiritually close to their user; he / she forms thoughts in them, and as for external codes, he / she only verbally formulates thoughts, translates them from internal to external code. Among the internal codes, there is a cultural code that is closest to the person because of his / her state, occupation, etc. It is concluded that the person views the surrounding world through the prism of the most familiar sphere of life, making it a model of the world and a cultural code.

The author compares and analyzes some definitions of the concept of cultural code offered by Russian and foreign linguists and semiologists. Aspects of this concept are singled out and described. Regulatory, semiotic and retransmitting functions of cultural codes are briefly characterized. The relationship between the concepts of cultural code and picture of the world is revealed. The author’s interpretation of the concept of cultural code is given, the ethnic specificity of cultural codes is revealed, its factors are described, participation of cultural codes in forming ethnic mentality is demonstrated. The author shows discrepancies in understanding reality due to the difference in the cultural codes used and points out that the role of cultural code can be performed by any perceptible area of reality: landscapes, natural phenomena, fauna, flora, artifacts (household utensils, tools, weapons, garments of clothes, dwelling places etc.) and actions with the listed items. All this is regarded in the article as semiotic means of thinking and communication. Methods. The analysis of cultural codes was carried out by using the methods of cross-cultural analysis and interlingual comparison on the material of English and Russian metaphoric set phrases. Conclusion. The conclusion is made concerning the influence of cultural codes on the choice of the path of historic development and, ultimately, on the fates of nations.