Sensory bases of metaphorical representations of immaterial objects (time, quantity, speech) in the discourse of the dialect language personality

The paper continues to develop the linguistic personology issues, in particular, the study of the linguistic world of a specific language personality on the basis of its discursive practices. The object of the research is the language personality of V.P. Vershinina (1909 - 2004), a resident of Vershinino Village of Tomsk Region, a traditional speech culture representative. The attention is focused on the description of the processes of figurative representations of immaterial objects, which is based on different types of reconsideration of perceptual characteristics. The abstract names related to the conceptual domains "time", "quantity", and "speech". The analysis shows that time in the discursive practices of the language personality is interpreted as the material and sensually perceived form of the being inextricably linked with the person and interpreted by means of spatial categories, activating primarily visual, but also audio, gustatory, and tactile analyzers. The abstract notion of quantity in the discourse of the language personality is explicated materially and represented by comparison with physical objects that have size, shape, volume, sometimes length, that can be seen. Figurative representation of speech is based on rethinking of all kinds of perception, in which visual, audio, and tactile perception dominates. The analysis of the material allowed to make some generalizations. The most common regularity in the interpretation of immaterial objects by the language personality is their figurative representation through their materialization, in particular, objectification when they are given properties to be perceived by the human senses. All kinds of sensory perception are involved in metaphorical specification of abstract categories: one can see, hear, touch, taste, feel the shape, size, volume and nature of the surface of intangible objects. The most popular way of objectification is their visual representation, which is not surprising, as the largest part of information about the world comes to people via sight. In visual perception the spatial parameter is particularly accentuated, which, according to our observations, dominates not only in the abstract, but is the most versatile method of figurative representation of any object or action, too. Active use of primary sensory characteristics in the imagery reflection of the world is quite natural for a traditional culture representative: the speaker does not use complex associations in the creation of an image, referring to the primary perceptual experience, relying on the traditional, familiar, often used in everyday life. The described methods of verbalizing ideas about immaterial objects are a reflection of the collective experience of the peasant society, but they also show the creativity of a language personality.

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