LINGUOCULTURAL METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING CULTURAL MEANINGS IN THE POLYSEMY OF IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS

Abstract

Idiomatic expressions are inherently polysemous and serve as culturally rich linguistic units that reflect shared conceptualizations, social norms, and symbolic imagery. This study investigates the cultural meanings embedded in the polysemy of idioms using a multimethod linguoculturological approach. The research combines contextual analysis, cognitiveconceptual modeling, cultural-semiotic interpretation, historical-cultural reconstruction, and corpus-based verification to capture the full complexity of idiomatic meanings. Analysis of selected English idioms demonstrates that each semantic variant is associated with distinct cultural schemas, conceptual metaphors, and social scripts. Cross-method triangulation reveals complementary insights, while historical and corpus-based analysis validates the diachronic evolution and frequency of polysemous forms.