Subordinate Categories in Ossetian

Abstract

The article looks at subordinate categories of the class “human” in Ossetian represented in idiom semantics. Various structures subdividing the original category are examined along with cognitive operations underlying the process of subcategorization. The structures termed as categorizing concept and specifying categories appear as the base of a cognitive operation that can be described as “subject (human) – relation (to) – object”. The relation component is indicated as to know, be able to, be able to resist and to disdain. The section of object is represented by categories “hardly understandable things”, “impossible things” “dangerous things” and “things that can not be taken away” expressing the culturally relevant meaning.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n5s2p197