Strach oswojony, strach zapomniany? Próba uchwycenia śladów dawnych śląskich wierzeń we współczesnej leksyce (na przykładzie nazwy niby‑osoby bebok)

Abstract

Based in the field of ethnolinguistics, the present article is devoted to the issue of vocabulary used in ancient Silesian folk beliefs. For the purpose of the article, the name of a quasi-human character – bebok – has been selected from folk texts and analyzed; observations have been carried out regarding grammar, semantic and pragmatic aspects of the lexeme. In the study, two methods have been employed, namely: the lingual representation of the world (“Językowy obraz świata”; JOS) and the theory of holistic evaluation. The collected material has allowed for creating a cognitive definition of the lexeme. The results have been juxtaposed with the most common and most interesting revisions of the quasiperson’s name, as present in a different context of the Internet. This juxtaposition made it possible to highlight changes in the structure and functioning of the lexeme, as well as to indicate differences between the ancient and modern systems of judging reality, contained in language.