SEMANTIC STEREOTYPE CAT (MACHKA) IN THE RUSSIAN AND SERBIAN LANGUAGE PICTURES OF THE WORLD

Morozova E. A.

This article presents a comparative study of the semantic stereotype of CAT in the Russian and Serbian language pictures of the world based on the method developed by E. Bartminski. The perceptions of cats among Russians and Serbians largely converge and trace back to the mythology of ancient Slavs. The article describes the semantic profiles that underlie the CAT stereotype: residential, demonological, characterological, erotic, and the cat's relationships with other animals.

Keywords:cat, semantic stereotype, symbolic meaning, language picture of the world.