DYNAMICS OF GERMAN CULTURE CONCEPTUAL SPACE IN PANDEMIC

Abstract

In the paper the author regards the conceptual space as a totality of basic concepts of some culture. The research is based on the analysis of new words that appeared in the time of two pandemic years. The author uses an integrative methodology, that combines characteristics of different culturetypes to characterize German culture as a part of low context cultures; principles of speech act theory to explain new words building; syntactic principles of new words composition that implicate pragmatic sense; description of German culture basic concepts as a semantic and functional field that changes its structure at different times. The comparison of its structure before pandemic and during pandemic shows the changes of basic conceptual fields. The findings are as follows. The main basic concepts of German culture ORDER and its derivate SECURITY form the core of conceptual space. The concepts WORK, EDUCATION and MOBILITY are regarded as instruments for their realization, they round the core. But in pandemic the emotional concept FEAR (ANGST) becomes a big value and moves into conceptual core. It influences rational concepts and their fields change the structure. In the concept ORDER the attention shifts to security and SOCIAL DISTANCING. In the concept SECURITY, nominations of defense means become the core. In instrumental concepts, the FEAR is indicated by some new words that separate some sub concepts. These sub concepts are: in the concept WORK LOCK DOWN, in the concept EDUCATION HOMESCHOOLING, in the concept MOBILITY COCOONING. The findings show the mechanism of conceptual adaptation in crisis situations which is important for peaceful settlement of different conflicts.