SEMANTIC STRUCTURE OF THE RUSSIAN VERB ДЕЛАТЬ AND ENGLISH MAKE AND DO AS THE MEANS OF CATEGORIYATION AND LINGUISTIC CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE WORLD

The paper deals with the semantic structure of the Russian verb делать and the English make and do. I argue that it is possible to describe the semantic structure of the word with the broad meaning on the basis of prototypical meanings which are interpreted as basic meanings. Such prototypical meanings are related to a broad invariant meaning. Each of the prototypical meanings is shaped by a set of semantic features: «creation of the object» – «creation of an object of a different class, with new qualities»; «irreversible situation»; «orientation on the event’s inner structure»; «transformation of the object» – «transformation of the object without changing its quality»; «irreversible situation»; «realization of the action’s portion» – «fixation of the unspecified action in the absence of the orientation on the event’s inner structure». The semantic structure of the verb делать is organized by three prototypical meanings: «creation of the object», «transformation of the object and realization of the action’s portion», which are related to the invariant meaning «realization of the action». In the semantic structure of the verb do there is only one prototype – «realization of the action» and the invariant – «realization of the action». The verb make has two prototypes – «creation of the object» and «transformation of the object», which are related to the invariant «execution of the interaction with the objects». Both types of meanings play a critical role in organizing the semantic structure of the words with broad semantics: there is a single invariant while there can be more than one prototype, so that an invariant and definite prototype value is realised in speech. In addition, interdependence of semantic derivation between prototypes and within the meaning itself is revealed. There can be a lot of semantic transfers, they occur due to a regular cognitive metaphor and cognitive metonymy. For example, the prototypical meanings of the verbs to do and to make remain the same while the nature of the object changes. Such an approach allows to define the semantics of the broad-semantic verbs and to determine the differences in their meanings, it shows how the denotated situation can be categorized and conceptualized by the means of the natural language. The hypothesis-deduction method is applied.