The language interpretation of the spatial limit "bottom" in Russian and English (On the material of English phrasal and Russian prefixal verbs)

The article describes the semantic organization of English phrasal and Russian prefixal verbs with the semantics of the bottom. Based on English phrasal verbs with the postposition "down" and Russian prefixal verbs with the prefix "s-", the features of the perception of space by native speakers are analyzed: the perception of the lower spatial limit and the semantic transformations of spatial meanings into other verb meanings in the two languages. English phrasal verbs with down form four groups based on their semantics: (1) verbs that mean "movement from top to bottom": go down, hang down, pull down; (2) verbs that mean "lessening, decrease in the volume or amount of something": cool down, cut down; (3) verbs that mean "destruction, demolition": tear down; take down, knock down; (4) verbs that mean "finishing an action, completion of an action": slow down, burn down, wear down. Russian verbs with the prefix s- also form four groups based on their semantics: (1) verbs that mean "movement from top to bottom": slezt' [come down], spustit' [take down], s"ekhat' [drive down]; (2) verbs that mean "removal, disappearance of the object": sdut' [blow off], stryakhnut' [shake off]; smesti [sweep off]; (3) verbs that mean "destruction, break of integrity, demolition of an object": slomat' [break down], srubit' [cut down], s"est' [eat up]. (4) verbs that mean "bringing an action to the limit, its completion": sdelat' [complete], svarit' [boil], skisnut' [sour]. The meaning "movement from top to bottom" is basic for Russian verbs with the prefix s- and English phrasal verbs with the postposition down. However, the postposition down denotes the bottom of the space associated with an action, and the whole movement is thought of as being directed towards the bottom from a higher point. In Russian, the prefix s- only indicates the direction of moving down from a higher to a supposedly lower point. These differences cause further transformations of spatial semantics. Verbs with the postposition down form meanings of movement towards a lower point, in which the bottom is interpreted as a decrease in the scope of the action, as the disappearing of the object due to its destruction and becoming smaller in height, and also as the lower limit which ends the action. In Russian, when speaking about the downward movement, the highest point is the most emphasized, and further downward movement starts from it: going from an upper point to a lower one, going out of the observer's focus, and further destruction and disappearance of the object. Like in English, the idea of reaching the limit of the action is expressed in the completeness of the object and the completion of the action in Russian. The difference in the aspects of perception of the downward movement in Russian and English is explained by the difference in the point of reference or the point of perspective of the action: from top to bottom or downwards from above.

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