Concept as a diachronic phenomenon (by example of representation of the megaconcept tea in the English language)

The author shortly reviews the use of the comparative methods in linguistics, the main terms (mapping and comparison)and the application of synchronic and diachronic approaches in both intralingual and cross-lingual research of phenomena. The givenarticle analyses the process of formation and development of the concepts comprising the megaconcept, represented by the lexeme teaon the two historical stages. The tertium comparationis is indicated by split-level concept representation linguistic means and also by thesimilarities and differences of their content semantics in the periods. The conceptual analysis and other cognitive research methods allowrevealing the existence of the cultural megaconcept verbalized by the lexeme tea in the English cognition. The megaconcept teaconsists of three concepts; each of them represented by the word tea: a) the simple common concrete concept tea, which began to format the end of the 17th c. - the beginning of the 18th c., which is related with the beverage of tea; b) the multi-layered cultural concept,including the basic level, tea as a beverage, and four cultural cognitive layers (tea as medicine, tea as a way of communication, tea as asign of hospitality and good attitude, tea as a way of spending time) and two segments: a) tea as a meal, having two layers (tea as a processof eating and tea as time of the day) and b) tea as a social or family event. The concept periphery is represented by set-expressionsand slang; c) the new concept tea in the meaning of a meal, formed in the second half of the 20th c. The existence of the three componentsis verified by the lexical collocation of verbs with the lexeme tea in different historical periods. The formation of the simple commonconcept starts at the end of the 17th c. as the English get acquainted with the beverage itself. There are no traditions of tea consumingin the period and some oriental rituals and dishes are used. Tea is served in a cup without handles - a dish of tea; the most frequentcollocation is to drink tea. The 19th c. is the height of the tea culture in England when all the tea-consuming traditions are formed in allthe social layers; there appear some peculiarities in the gastronomical component of the meal and the time of having it. On this stage allthe additional cognitive layers and segments of the concept are compiled. Tea is served in a cup - a cup of tea; the most frequent collocationof the lexeme tea is with the verb to have. The most serious changes in the tea culture take place in the second half of the 20th c.Tea yields its positions to coffee, alcohol and soft drinks. However, tea remains the symbol of English culture. Tea as a meal enters thesystem of English meals; the beverage itself is not its essential constituent any more. There appear the following collocations of thelexeme tea with the verbs to make, to cook, to eat in the meaning of preparing or eating the cooked food. The concept formed in the mid20th c., which has firmly embedded the paradigm of meals, presents itself as the English culture exclusive identity.

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