Rationale behind Russian folk names of medicinal plants

Aim. The present paper deals with semantic study of Russian folk names of medicinal plants. These names indicate a specific pharmacological activity of plants. The aim of the research is to find out rationale behind these names and investigate the semantic motivation underlying the plant name. In case with non-scientific names the motivation is influenced by historical and dialectical factors and associated with using a species as a medical remedy or applying it in the household. The object is the vocabulary of the Russian plant names which provides material of cognitive activities of the past generations, the process of perception of the environment. Methodology. Reference books on ethnobotany and dictionaries of plant names were used to obtain and select linguistic material related to the issue. The research material was verified and correlated with standard plant names in Latin. The work employs descriptive method, method of etymological and component analysis. Results. The study of folk plant names with semantics of functional motivation showed the rational base of the nomination which have been supported by the medicinal and pharmaceutical researches carried out in recent years. Research implications. The theoretical significance of the study is determined by its contribution to the clarification of motivational basis of folk names. The practical significance lies in the possibility of using its results in studies on ethnolinguistics, phytonimic semantics and phytonimic lexis in different languages. The study is based on anthroponomical approach and confirms well-founded nature of plants’ nominations as the result of cognitive activity and process of perception of the environment