Shikida I. Functioning of the Nomens "Wessi" and "Оssi" in the Modern German Communicative Space

This research reveals the semantic, functional and cultural properties of the nomens Wessi and Оssi in the modern German communicative space. The paper purposes the investigation of the semantic and cultural characteristics of these nomens and the detection of their usage properties in the German mass media. The methodology is based on the lexical and semantic analyses, on the etymological, component and contextual analyses as well as on the linguistic and culturological interpretation. The dissertation suggests a new integrated approach to the investigation of the semantic, functional and cultural usage properties of the nomens Wessi and Оssi in the German mass media in the synchronic and diachronic aspects. The constants and variables of the nomens content are analyzed. The research also exposes their sociocultural properties claiming that they are names of the cultural concepts. The results are theoreticaly important for linguistic conceptology, sociolinguistics and cultural studies. The practical value is provided for academic courses on the lexicology of modern German, culture-oriented linguistics, Theory of Naming, intercultural studies, sociolinguistics, functional semantics as well as for further researches.