Discourse Analysis of the Semantics of the Lexeme ‘Rassuzhdenije’ in Diachronic Aspect

Aim. Diachronic study of the semantic structure of the lexeme ‘rassuzhdenije’ by means of context analysis of its usage in Old Russian writings of the 11th–16th centuries. Methodology. The research is based on contextual approach to the study of word semantics, the principal methods being discourse analysis, componential analysis and corpus-based study. Results . The comparative analysis of the semantic structures of the lexeme ‘rassuzhdenije’ and its Greek cognate revealed the discrepancy in their seme composition caused by the peculiarities of reception of Byzantine culture in Old Rus’. The macrocontexts significant for the semantic development of the studied lexeme as well as the factors influencing semantic changes in its structure were identified. Research implications . The results of the study can extend the notion of prospective discourse development of a polysemantic word based on its semantic structure.