TYPES OF VERBAL ATTRACTORS OF EMPATHY CONCEPT IN CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH DISCOURSE
Abstract
The article reveals the dynamic nature of EMPATHY concept from the standpoint of cognitive linguosynergetics analyzing the types of its verbal attractors with the construction of their models. The paper proves that the dynamics of verbal attractors is directed to four types of functioning: point (one structure – lexical item empathy), periodic (two structures – lexical items empathy and sympathy), quasi-periodic (nnumber of structures – vocabulary with direct or indirect meaning of empathy present in the semantic core of the word (including idioms)), and strange (cases when the speaker constructs speech expressions which seemingly have nothing to do with EMPATHY concept). Depending on the needs of communication EMPATHY concept can spontaneously switch from one mode to another by means of phase transition or bifurcation marked by the change of existing attractor. Point attractor is characterized by equilibrium with the discursive environment: the behavior of EMPATHY concept brought to one lexical item is independent of the context of the discursive act. Periodic attractor has a weak equilibrium with the discursive environment, resulted in quite a sustainable concept functioning in discourse. Quasi-periodic attractor is characterized by disequilibrium with the discursive environment, and the strange one – by a new equilibrium, with which the concept structure never repeats itself, although its self-organization is subject to the rules of fractal self-similarity. The choice of verbal attractors is spontaneous in nature because communicants can unexpectedly use any language as a result of certain cognitive impulse. The possible choice of system development takes place at the micro level of potential conceptual states. The cognitive micro level is formed by lexical concepts which randomly interact with each other with such a speed that makes them indistinguishable within discourse. Externally the choice dynamics of potential attractors remains invisible until the moment of their implementation at the macro level of the discursive act, confirming the fact that all processes in the system hierarchy of EMPATHY concept are separated in space and time.
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