Current issue

The article analyzes the features of synesthetic conceptualization of time through the prism of the category of color, based on the works of W. Shakespeare. It is demonstrated that color, not being an independent entity but a quality, acquires in the space of the literary text additional metonymically conditioned meanings through its correlation with the phenomena of existence, in some cases rising to the level of value-­laden symbolic co-meanings. The semantics and pragmatics of each color that shades time in Shakespeare’s texts are determined by metonymic correlation with the phenomena of the external and internal world. Thus, black color, identified with the darkness of night, becomes a methonymic-­metaphorical name for the unknown, danger, and suffering. Grey color, associated with the transition from darkness to light, correlates with the images of morning, youth, and hope, becoming an element of vivid authorial metaphors of personification. Red color allows for polar interpretations, being both a sign of trials and a symbol of life, strength, and energy. Yellow color serves as a sign of fading, old age, and, in a psychological aspect, sadness. Green color is metonymically associated with the ideas of novelty, youth, and at the same time inexperience and vulnerability. Artistically reinterpreted, the metonymic parallels are generalized into metaphorical images reflecting the author’s perception of the complex diversity of existence. A conclusion is drawn that the conjugation of temporal and color semantic elements individualizes both time and color, providing each moment of Shakespeare’s text with unique singularity.

The article examines the transformation of the concept of diglossia from the moment of its introduction by C. Ferguson to denote a stable language situation to the comprehension of the phenomenon of polyglossia, which is characteristic of many countries in the modern world. It is noted that code-switching between the H-variety and the L-variety may occur in any social do­main, the most significant of which are family, religion, education, and work. The basis for the analysis of diglossia is the theory developed by C. Ferguson and further elaborated in the works of his followers, such as J. Fishman, J. Holmes, D. Deterding, K. Myers-­Scotton, A. Pakir, and others. The relationships between diglossia and bilingualism are demonstrated, manifesting in such language situations as the presence of both diglossia and bilingualism, bilingualism
without diglossia, diglossia without bilingualism, and the absence of both diglossia and bilingualism. As an example of diglossia in the modern world, the article considers the language situation of the use of English in Singapore, where the speech continuum of the Singaporean va­riety of English includes the basilect (as the lowest variety), the mesolect, and the H-variety — a non-­British acrolect significantly different from Standard English, which creates certain lin­guistic and sociocultural problems in Singaporean society. The study of diglossia is relevant in the training of specialists for work in those countries where a diglossic (polyglossic) situation influences the establishment of intercultural dialogue and economic business contacts.