A study of secondary interpretation of zoomorphic verbs with the meaning of theft in English, French and Russian

this article examines metaphorical constructions that use names of animals to convey actions in the context of alienation and theft. Such verbs can carry negative connotations reflecting manipulation, deception or cunning and they can convey emotional state resulting from loss or abandonment of something valuable. The study found that zoomorphic verbs play an important role in our understanding of theft. They describe an action emotionally determined colored associating it with concrete animal. While studying zoomorphic verbs it allows us to understand not only language but also cognition, values and relationship to the world as a reflection of the complex and multifaceted nature of humankind. Despite differences in lexical units and cultural contexts, the key ideas remain consistent. This confirms that languages can express similar concepts in different ways and studying such nuances helps deepen our understanding of the multilayered nature of language and its interaction with culture.

secondary nomination, metaphor, zoomorphic verbs, concept of ‘getting’, concept of equifinal thinking