„Pierońsko pieroński pieronie!” Słów kilka o „boskim” pochodzeniu i „ludzkim” użyciu leksemu „pieron”

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of expressive vocabulary of the Upper Silesian dialect. T he lexeme pieron along with its lexical family was subject to an analysis by means of the instruments of the theory of the linguistic image of the world and the complementary theory of holistic evaluation. T he research that was conducted was associated with both levels of the symbolical unit: the phonetic and the semantic level; the research oscillated around the problems associated with etymology, structure, semantic variants, as well as the functioning in a strictly defined communicative situation. O bservations were also made upon the lexical family of the lexeme pieron, demonstrating the variety of the lexical and semantic field as well as the derivational potential of the word that is discussed. The material that was analysed was derived from the dictionaries of the Upper Silesian dialect; the literature was supplemented by ethnolinguistic and folkloric research works. T he results of the observations enabled us to notice a considerable discrepancy between the properties which result from the etymology of the lexeme and the connotations with the sphere of sacrum and its realisations in colloquial statements which refer to profanum (inter alia by means of the assumption of the function of vulgarisms). T hese results enabled us to realise the main postulate of the JOS theory which pursues statements about reality which are contained in language – the use of the lexemes which were originally associated with the sphere of religious beliefs, therefore ones that are inaccessible to people, in strictly colloquial contexts, is testimony to the attempts made by the speakers of a language at a peculiar understanding and mastering the world.