LEXICAL AND SEMANTIC FEATURES OF VERBALISATION OF BIOSOCIAL TIME IN THE COMEDIES OF TITUS MACCIUS PLAUTUS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/folium/2026.8.21Keywords:
biosociological time, Titus Maccius Plautus, lexicalsemantic group, age category, linguistic worldview, Latin language, social status, field modellingAbstract
The article presents a comprehensive linguistic study of the lexical and semantic specifics of verbalising biosocial time in the comedic works of Titus Maccius Plautus. It substantiates the expediency of applying an anthropocentric approach to the analysis of temporal categories, where the concept of ‘biosociological time’ as a discrete process of qualitative changes in social roles and legal status of an individual becomes key. Unlike purely quantitative indicators of physical chronos, biosocial time in Plautus’ texts appears as a unity of biological age and social activity, regulated by the system of values and norms of ancient society. Based on the method of continuous sampling from 21 comedies, a lexicalsemantic group (LSG) ‘Age’ was formed, which covers 23 lexemes (776 uses). With the help of field modelling, the studied segment of the Latin linguistic worldview was structured, the archelexeme aetas was determined as the core of the field, and key lexical-semantic subgroups were identified: ‘Childhood,’ ‘Youth,’ ‘Maturity,’ ‘Old Age,’ and ‘Generation.’ Analysis of systemic connections within the LSG revealed differentiated synonymy of age nominations (e.g., gradation in the series puer – adulescentulus – adulescens), where the choice of lexeme is determined not only by chronological age, but also by the pragmatic context of social (in) dependence. Statistical analysis of the material revealed a ‘polarisation’ of time specific to the discourse of the field: the dominance of markers of old age (36.7%) and youth (21.8%) with an almost complete absence of nominations of maturity. It has been proven that the plot tension of comedies is based on the conflictual antonymy of the lexemes adulescens – senex, which verbalises the fundamental opposition between the legal dependence of young people and the authoritarian conservatism of family heads. Particular attention is paid to the cognitive potential of age nominations as tools for marking hierarchical relationships in the patria potestas system. It has been proven that the opposition adulescens – senex verbalises not only biological differences, but also the fundamental social conflict between the legal dependence of young people and the authoritarian conservatism of clan leaders. The functioning of the terminological ‘ladder of ancestors’ (avus, proavus, abavus, etc.) is described as a means of reflecting the continuity of biosocial time and ethical responsibility to future generations. It is concluded that biosocial time in Plautus is a system of social markers that transform the flow of nature into a clearly regulated ‘social design’ of human life.
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