Methodology of researching lexico-phraseological means representing the cognitive scenario of the “life cycle of an object”: structural-semantic, cognitive-discursive, and comparative aspects of analysis

the article is devoted to the study of lexico-phraseological means that represent the cognitive scenario of the “life cycle of an object” through the integration of structural-semantic, cognitive-discursive, and comparative methods of analysis. The aim of the work is to identify universal and culturally specific mechanisms of verbalizing the stages of an object’s existence (emergence, development, peak, decline, conclusion) in various language systems. The focus of the research is on metaphorical models, idioms, and lexical units that reflect the conceptualization of temporal dynamics in language. The methodology is based on the analysis of text corpora, including scientific, journalistic, and literary sources, using componential, contextual, and substitution analyses. The structural-semantic approach allowed for the systematization of linguistic means according to the stages of the life cycle, revealing dominant metaphors (for example, anthropomorphic ones such as “the birth of an idea” and “the death of a project”). The cognitive-discursive analysis uncovered the variability of interpretations depending on the communicative context, while the comparative aspect demonstrated discrepancies in the representation of the scenario among languages, caused by cultural and historical factors. The results showed that the universality of basic concepts (“birth,” “death”) is combined with the specificity of their linguistic embodiment. For example, in some cultures, plant metaphors predominate (“wilting of an initiative”), whereas in others, technological ones are more common (“system reboot”). Gaps were identified in the description of transitional stages (a brief peak), as well as differences in the evaluative connotations of idioms. The discussion emphasizes the interdisciplinary significance of the work: the results are relevant for cognitive linguistics, cultural studies, and translation studies. The hypothesis that the linguistic representation of the life cycle reflects not only objective reality but also the mental attitudes of language speakers has been confirmed. The study contributes to the understanding of the role of metaphors as a tool for conceptualizing time and change, as well as expanding the methodological base for comparative studies from a cross-cultural perspective.

cognitive scenario, lexico-phraseological analysis, life cycle of an object, comparative linguistics, structural-semantic method