LINGUACULTURAL ANALYSIS OF FLORA REPRESENTATION IN SPANISH, MEXICAN, AND COLOMBIAN RIDDLES

This paper is dedicated to the linguacultural, lexical and semantic analysis of Spanish, Mexican, and Colombian riddles about plants. The study of the linguistic worldview perception and its verbalization associated with flora representation in folklore texts is of particular interest. Phytonyms in riddles carry a great semantic load, help to better understand ethnic priorities. Of particular interest are riddles in which ethno-specific features of the Spanish, Mexican, and Colombian linguistic pictures of the world are manifested. Units of culture are revealed in the texts of riddles, firstly, because they contain linguistic elements that are peculiar only to a certain culture, and due to unique ethno-specific elements directly reflect the features of the corresponding linguistic culture. Secondly, in addition to such a direct reflection, cultural units can be transmitted indirectly in texts, through specific structures, which find their expression in the way of describing hidden phytonyms. The lexical and semantic analysis of riddles about the plant world makes it possible to reconstruct the folklore features of phytonyms and, based on the typology of these features, describe plants that are prototypical for linguistic personalities of different Spanish-speaking countries. The analysis of non-standard language explicants of plants allows not only to determine their most relevant features, but also to generalize the metaphorical or metonymic aspect of transfers.