The relevance of this dissertation stems from the unresolved linguistic problem concerning the semantic and grammatical nature of the instrumental case of nouns, particularly its comparative function. Although the use of the comparative instrumental with verbs has been studied in sufficient detail, its application to nouns has largely been examined superficially, without a rigorous analysis of its historical origins and the dynamics of its development in contemporary usage.
A deeper exploration of comparatives with the instrumental case within the framework of modern linguistic paradigms—integrating cognitive-onomasiological and ethnolinguistic approaches—facilitates a more comprehensive understanding of these linguistic units. This approach also highlights the processes underpinning the development of the distinct national features of the Ukrainian language.
The integration of cognitive-onomasiological and ethnolinguistic perspectives enables a thorough investigation of how national culture influences linguistic categories and the structuring of cultural knowledge within the language.
Ethnolinguistics examines how cultural concepts are reflected in linguistic forms, while the cognitive-onomasiological approach focuses on the mechanisms through which such concepts are constructed at the cognitive level. Together, these frameworks provide critical insights into the meanings of words and expressions, their connotations, and their associations within specific cultural contexts.
The combined use of these approaches expands the methodological tools available for analyzing linguistic phenomena. This includes the systematic study of cultural contexts, symbolic representations, metaphors, and the cognitive mechanisms that shape the meanings and uses of linguistic units. The
interdisciplinary integration of ethnolinguistics and cognitive linguistics promotes a dialogue between linguistics and related fields, such as anthropology, psychology, and cultural studies. As a result, it contributes to a more holistic understanding of the origins and functions of language, as well as its role in shaping societal structures and cultural identity.
The scientific novelty of this work lies in the cognitive-onomasiological analysis of instrumental comparative constructions and in the ethnolinguistic interpretation of agentive images within instrumental expressions that convey comparative semantics.
An analysis of key scholarly works on the instrumental case's comparative semantics leads to the conclusion that this type of semantics is among the most ancient, as evidenced by its use in the oldest Ukrainian written records, such as The Tale of Igorʼs Campaign and the Cossack chronicles.
Instrumental comparative expressions serve as peripheral means of conveying comparative semantics. These constructions are syntactic synonyms of conjunctional comparisons, except when the process of adverbialization of the noun is semantically complete.
Instrumental comparative constructions occupy a transitional zone within the parts-of-speech system, generating considerable debate. This study adheres to the view that words in the instrumental case with comparative meaning retain their morphological status as nouns in the early stages of adverbialization, indicating the initial phase of a syntactic transition toward becoming adverbs.
A comparative construction with the instrumental case consists of an object (a nominal part of speech or phrase), a subject (an instrumental case form with comparative semantics), and a motive for comparison (a verb that conveys the comparative characteristic), forming a three-component structure.
In instrumental comparative constructions, both abstract and concrete nouns of any gender or number are used, indicating that neither the agent nor the referent zones are lexically or grammatically restricted. Verbs in these constructions are predominantly intransitive and absolute. The presence of a verb is essential in
constructing comparisons with the instrumental case, as the action it denotes mediates between the agent and the referent of the comparison. The verb may be explicit or implied. Instrumental comparatives in nominal usage belong to constructions with implicit verbs such as «to be», «to appear», or «to become»,
where the noun in the instrumental case serves as a direct marker of similarity or identity between two objects.
The instrumental comparative appears in static contexts to specify qualitative characteristics of an object and in dynamic contexts to describe movement characteristics. The nominal instrumental is used to express cognitive operations when an associative link is established between two objects based on external or
functional similarity.
