Potebniaʼs Basis of Fishing Nomens Classification

Abstract

A
classification of Ukrainian fishing words based upon author's studies is offered in the
research. The theoretical background of the research is O. Potebniaʼs linguistic
approach to the nature of sensory perceptions and their role in arising of nominationsjudgments of various structures. Fishing trade has been inherent to the territory of
Ukraine since the prehistoric times and that makes fishing words studying crucial in
the aspect of historical evolution of thought. O. Potebnia made difference to analitical
and synthetic judgements , pointing out the primacy of the analitical ones deriving
directly from sensory perception. The material of Ukrainian dialects allows to
conclude that the most productive way of fishes names and fishing tools creation was
univerbation. For example: піща́нка ← піща́на ри́ба (sand fish), трав’я́нка ←
трав’яна́ щу́
ка (grass pike), поплавча́нка ← поплаво́чна у́
дочка (fishing rod with
float) etc. These fishing juxtaposed compounds are most frequently used equally with
basic two part words. According to the studied material we can distinguish the
essential names, which meaning nature is as clear as the peculiarities of the
phenomena or thing they name. They are called primal nomens. The affiliation of
almost all primary fishing nomens without any exclusions to lexical and semantic
group of «Fish names» can be explained by already mentioned empiricism (perceptual cognition). This empiricism (perceptual cognition) is the basis for
classification of the material objects of the living nature. Conventional names are
names reflecting the stages of material world hand-made objects arising and refining
along with the collective thought development in perception of environmental objects
and phenomena. Compare Greek αθερινιά ʻa dense net for small fishʼ. The name is
derived from αθερίνα ʻa fish of Atherinidaeʼ. Ukrainian dialect words плотвя́нка ʻa
small hole fish net (hole size is 22×22 мм)ʼ is originated from плотва́
(roach) ʻa
small freshwater fish of carp kindʼ, карасьо́вка ʻa big hole fish net with hole size
50×50 мм and moreʼ, derived from кара́сь (crucian) (a bigger size fish).
Conventional metaphoric names are different structure lexical items of figurative
level of collective thought, which can be both common and professional words in a
certain territory, where language is used: Lower Dnister region idiom дої́ти (to milk)
ʻto jerk a net while fishingʼ, idiom from Bukovyna region доки піде струг за саком
(till trout follows the hoop-net) which means ʻneverʼ etc.