Nominations for Animal Birth and Death in Polish and Russian

Abstract

In this article, we present research on the meaning of lexical units that denote the moments of birth and death of animals in Polish and Russian. We attempt to illustrate the differences in the names of the same processes observed in humans and animals: birth and death, in both languages. Drawing on lexicographic sources and the opinions of linguists, we provide examples of the blurring of names denoting the beginning and end of life in animals and humans in contemporary Polish and Russian. By examining the vocabulary referring to the beginning of new life, we concluded that the differences in names stem from the manner of birth. Generally, these are zoological/medical concepts associated with a specific species. The word ‘born’ is a general term denoting the birth of a new individual. To ensure that the results of our research reflect contemporary linguistic realities, we used, in addition to material analysis, a survey method. We asked 150 people the question: ‘Does a pet die or is it dying?’ The results were confirmed by theoretical research. The majority of respondents supported the use of vocabulary in Polish that clearly differentiates between human and animal death. Based on the research, we can conclude that in both languages, there is a clear division in the terms used today to describe human and animal death, for example: people die, animals are dying.