FEATURES OF THE VERBALIZATION OF THE CONCEPT DEATH IN TERRY PRATCHETT’S NOVEL MORT

Abstract

The article examines the peculiarities of the verbalization of the concept DEATH in Mort, a novel by the outstanding English writer Terry Pratchett. The study demonstrates that the concept DEATH is realized through two interrelated yet functionally distinct dimensions: DEATH as a personified character and death as the process of the cessation of life. A separate nominative field consisting of the core, near periphery, and far periphery has been identified for each dimension. The analysis encompasses lexical units, symbolic images, phraseological expressions, graphical devices, metaphorical models, and author-specific nominations contributing to the conceptualization of DEATH. Particular attention is paid to the graphical organization of DEATH’s speech, the symbolic significance of the author’s imagery, and the functioning of both conventional and innovative linguistic means within the conceptual structure. A quantitative analysis was conducted to determine the frequency of individual linguistic units, identify the organizational patterns of the nominative fields, and reveal the relationships between their structural components. The findings indicate that within the fictional world of the novel, DEATH functions not only as a traditional symbol of the end of life but also as a functionally indispensable element of the universal order, embodying both a social role and a professional function. The study establishes that the personification of the concept, the graphical representation of the character’s speech, the system of symbolic nominations, and the author’s metaphorical imagery construct an individual conceptual model of death that substantially differs from its conventional cultural interpretation. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of Terry Pratchett’s individual conceptual worldview and may serve as a basis for further cognitive-discursive, linguocultural, and comparative studies of literary discourse.