Linguistic Means of Expressing Emotions in English Language

Abstract

The features of expressing emotions in the English language on a material of texts of fiction are discussed. The relevance of the study lies in the fact that the problem of learning and expressing emotions is interdisciplinary problem (emotions are studied by representatives of various branches of science, linguists, psychologists, philosophers, culturologists). It is noted that researches in the field of expressing emotions and their ways pave the way for further identification of ethno-cultural specificity of expression of emotions in different languages and cultures and contribute to the development of emotiology that is an important interdisciplinary area of modern linguistics, linguistic ecology and ecolinguistics. Based on Turansky’s scale of the intensity and Lakoff’s theory of containers the examples of expressions of physical, mental and psycho-physical condition of the individual in the English language in different ways - graphic, morphemic, syntactic - are revealed in literary texts. It is emphasized that language has a whole arsenal of tools to reflect the emotional state of the individual, first of all predicates, expressing psycho-physical condition of the person. It is concluded that the application of Turansky’s scale of intensity and Lakoff’s theory of containers when describing expressions of emotions in language provides a great opportunity to analyze the whole arsenal of linguistic means of expression of emotions, what is the prospect for further research.