Representation of the Lexical-Semantic Field “Time” (Based on Russian, English and Ingush languages)

Abstract

In recent decades, semantic studies have occupied a prominent place in modern linguistics, particularly within the typological and comparative paradigm. Against this background, the present study examines the lexical-semantic field (LSF) “time” and the principles of its structural organization in three typologically distinct languages: Russian (infection-synthetic), English (analytic and weakly inflectional), and Ingush (inflectional-agglutinative). linguocultures. The scientific novelty of the research lies in its comprehensive comparative analysis of the LSF “time” based on nominative-accusative (Russian and English) and ergative (Ingush) languages. The empirical material includes data obtained from explanatory, etymological, synonymic, and antonymic dictionaries, as well as literary texts in the three analyzed languages used as illustrative material. The methodological framework combines theo retical and empirical methods of analysis, synthesis, classification, systematization, and generalization with elements of quantitative analysis, alongside functional-semantic and comparative approaches. The study resulted in the compilation of a representative corpus comprising approximately 500 lexical-semantic units with temporal meaning and over 30 contextual examples drawn from three typolog ically different languages. The findings demonstrate that the LSF “time” in Russian, English, and Ingush possesses a nuclear–central–peripheral organization, while the degree of its structural complexity and lexical density varies depending on the typological characteristics of each language. Such variation is determined by the interaction between universal cognitive mechanisms and language-specific typological features. In Russian, this is reflected in the predominance of inflectional forms contributing to grammatical integration and functional-semantic differentiation; in English, in the dominance of lexical and syntactic means leading to extensive lexical specification and synonymic variability; and in Ingush, in the interaction of inflectional and agglutinative features manifested in derivational transparency, morphemic motivation, and high word-formative productivity.