Chapter language nominations of football teams, players and their non-verbal actions

Cleveland tigers


Birmingham Bulls


Cambridge Pythons


Bristol Barracuda


Kent Falcons, Glasgow Hornets
Based on the data in the tables above, we determined that the names of land mammals are used most of all in the names of English teams, especially the names of predators, among which the names of wild cats occupy the first place, for example, the following names are popular, presented in descending order of frequency of use : cougar (puma) - Houston Cougars', tiger (tiger) - Glasgow Tigers, lion (lion) - Detroit Loins', panther (panther) - Pittsburgh Panthers', bobcat (lynx) - Ohio Bobcats. The following nouns are less commonly used: jaguar (jaguar) - South Alabama Jaguars; cheetah (cheetah) - Watford Cheetah.
The analysis also revealed that the English names of other predatory animals also include the nouns wolf (wolf) - Edinburgh Wolves - and bear (bear) - California Golden Bears.
The analysis data also showed that, somewhat less often than the names of predators, the names of herbivores act as the core of the names of English teams. More often than others, the names of horses are used, represented by the following language correlates: mustang (mustang) - London Mustangs', bronco (bronco) - Denver Broncos', stallion (stallion) - Staffordshire Stallions.
In this paragraph, it was found quite often that the basis of the name of English teams is the names of fighting and sled dogs, as their language representatives are the nouns bulldog (bulldog) - Georgia Bulldogs - and husky (husky) - Connecticut Huskies, terrier (terrier) - Yorkshire Terriers.
The collected factual material determined the names of English teams may also include the names of representatives of cattle, indicated by the following nouns: bull (bull) - Birmingham Bulls; buffalo (buffalo) - Colorado Buffaloes; longhorn (longhorn - hardy breed of cows) - Texas Longhorns. The names of several teams used the noun ram (ram) - Yorkshire Rams. The following names are used somewhat less frequently: rhino (rhinoceros) - ARU Rhinos; razorback (boar) - Arkansas Razorbacks; stag (deer) - Southampton Stags.
Thus, having analyzed the semantic structure of terrestrial mammal names in this paragraph, we have identified those characteristics that allow emphasizing the command name.
An analysis of the factual material revealed that among zoonyms, the names of predators are most often used as the central component of the name of an American football team, among which the names of wild cats occupy the first place. The most popular are the following names, presented in descending order of frequency of use: cougar (puma) - Houston Cougars; tiger (tiger) - Glasgow Tigers, lion (lion) - Detroit Loins; panther (panther) - Pittsburgh Panthers; bobcat (lynx) - Ohio Bobcats. The following nouns are less commonly used: jaguar (jaguar) - South Alabama Jaguars; cheetah (cheetah) - Watford Cheetah. Among the names of other predatory animals, the nouns wolf (wolf) - Edinburgh Wolves - and bear (bear) - California Golden Bears also appear.
As a result of the analysis, we found the noun tiger in the name of English football teams (a large feline mammal, Panthera tigris, offorests in most of Asia, having a tawny yellow coat with black stripes; a dynamic, forceful, or cruel person; CCD, 1578) such signs that name the external features of the animal as "tawny yellow coat" and "black stripes" are not subject to actualization. At the same time, the characteristics "wild" and "predatory", explicated in the dictionary definition of the name in question, are not deleted, but are transformed, in our opinion, into the attribute "dangerous". The figurative meaning of the noun tiger was assigned the features "forceful", "dynamic" and "cruel". The use of the name tiger in the name of the team makes it possible to emphasize such qualities predicted by the players as "energy" and "assertiveness". In this case, the attribute "cruelty" is deleted from the meaning of the updated name. The use of the zoonym tiger as the core of the team name, in our opinion, also allows us to emphasize the strength of the players. The sign "strength" is implicit, it is not recorded in the dictionary entry of the name under consideration, however, it is well known to the recipient from the background knowledge about this animal.
The next name, like cougar, is due to the desire to emphasize, in addition to large size, the strength and agility of the players, these qualities are not disclosed in the dictionary entry of the name cougar (a large American feline mammal, Felis concolor, that resembles a lion, having a plain greyish-brown coat and long tail; CCD, 334). However, from the picture of the world it is known that the cougar, despite its large size, can climb trees and quickly attack the victim.
Features such as “courage”, “impressive appearance” and “strength” of the players make it possible to emphasize the choice of the English team of the zoonym lion (a large African wild animal with golden fur. The male lion has thick hair around its head called) as the central component of the nomination. a mane; someone who is powerful impressive or brave; MEDAL, 833). These features are recorded in the dictionary entry of the name lion; when the noun is updated, these characteristics come to the fore. It is known that the lion is a symbol of royal power, greatness and power, it is no coincidence that the team from the capital of the British Empire chose the name of this animal. In our opinion, the use of the zoonym lion contributes to the emphasis on the signs of "majesty" and "powerfulness", which are implicit. At the same time, the external signs of the animal, such as "golden fur" and "hairy mane" are deleted from the meaning of the actualized name.
The noun panther at the base of the team name allows one to predicate such qualities as ferocity or aggressiveness to the players, which is confirmed by the presence in the structure of the value of this zoonym of the semantic multiplier fierce, extracted from the dictionary definition of the name.
The choice of the name cheetah makes it possible to bring to the fore such a characteristic characteristic of the members of this team as the ability to run very fast. This feature, according to the dictionary entry, is the main semantic factor of the zoonym cheetah: a large feline mammal, Acinonyx jubatus, of Africa and SW Asia: the swiftest mammal, having very long legs, nonretractile claws, and a black-spotted light-brown coat ( CCD, 255).
Zoonym wolf as part of the team's name helps to emphasize its cohesion. The wolf is one of the few animals that live and hunt in a pack, this feature is recorded in the dictionary entry using the phrase "hunts in packs". The assumption that it is this semantic factor that comes to the fore in the value structure of the updated name is also confirmed by the statement of a member of one of the teams who commented on the reason for choosing the name wolf.
Scientists argue that the name of the animal wolf is one of the zoonyms that make up the picture of the world of the English-speaking society. At the same time, a certain figurative meaning is assigned to such names. Thus, in the semantic structure of the name wolf, the semes "a man who habitually tries to seduce a woman", "a person who prefers to be alone", "a malicious person" are distinguished, which testify to the negative qualities predicted for a person: lustful, lonely, treacherous (Kurazhova 2007: 79). We have noted other differential features that are actualized in the meaning of this name: "wild", "cruel", "ability to work in a team". At the same time, the last semantic factor contradicts the seme "a person who prefers to be alone", singled out by I. V. Kurazhova as assigned to this name in the language. The researchers also note that such qualities as unpretentiousness, industriousness and inertia are also associated with the name of the wolf animal. However, our analysis showed that when using the zoonym wolf as a core component of the name of a sports team, such negative features as inert and lustful, as well as the characteristic of being lonely, are deleted, although these features are fixed in the language for the figurative meaning of the zoonym. At the same time, other signs that are perceived as negative in everyday life acquire a positive assessment (for example, cruel - merciless to the enemy).
The use of the name bear focuses on such a characteristic as the gigantic size of the players. This feature is explicated in the definition of the name bear: typically massive omnivorous animals with a large head, a long shaggy coat, and strong claws (CCD, 124), and on its basis the positive quality strong is singled out, which is predicated on football players. It should be noted that traditionally in English linguistic culture, a person named with the name bear, first of all, is attributed to negative qualities, namely: clumsy, rude, ill-mannered (). However, in the case when the zoonym bear is used to name the team, only the positive qualities inherent in the meaning of this zoonym come to the fore.
The choice of the zoonym mustang makes it possible to emphasize such features as the speed, endurance and unpretentiousness of football players. At the same time, the dictionary entry for the name mustang - a small hardy naturalized horse of United States western plains directly descended from horses brought in by the Spaniards (MWCD, 530) - reflects only a sign of endurance. However, from the picture of the world it is known that mustangs run very fast, they are unpretentious.
The main semantic multiplier of the noun bronco is unbridledness, which, when the name is updated, is modified into such a feature as vigor. This sign is not fixed by the dictionary definition of this name, however, from the picture of the world it is known that wild or semi-wild Bronco horses often replace the bull in the rodeo, since they are very difficult to curb.
The use of the name stallion, which in its direct meaning refers to a male sire, a stallion that has not undergone castration, allows players to predicate such a quality as masculinity. This feature is implicit, it is derived from the semantic factors male and uncastreted, which we extract from the dictionary entry of the noun stallion: an uncastrated male horse, esp one used for breeding (CCD; 1467).
The choice of the zoony bull makes it possible to emphasize (in addition to the impressive size and colossal strength) the maturity and aggressiveness of the players. These signs are explained in the dictionary entry of the noun bull: any male bovine animal, esp one that is sexually mature; a very large, strong, or aggressive person (CCD, 194). Note that the noun bull is also one of the zoonyms that make up the picture of the world of the English-speaking society. In the structure of the figurative meaning of the name bull, researchers distinguish the semes "strong", "large", "aggressive", "clumsy", which name two positive qualities - strong, large; and two negative ones - aggressive, clumsy (Kurazhova 2007: 81). In the meaning of this name, which acts as the name of a football team, we also singled out the semes "strong", "large", "aggressive", however, the last seme is characterized in this context as positive, since aggressiveness / sports anger is a necessary quality for a player contributing to victory. At the same time, the seme "clumsy" (clumsy) in this case is not subject to actualization.
The noun buffalo at the base of the team name makes it possible to emphasize such characteristics as huge growth and a powerful, muscular physique, which is confirmed by the presence of semantic factors large and muscular, isolated from the dictionary definition of the name.
Using the zoonym longhorn, which refers to a hardy breed of cows that can withstand long hauls and can carry heavy loads, the team emphasizes its endurance. Note that in the dictionary entry of this noun (any of the long-horned cattle of Spanish derivation formerly common in southwestern United States; MWCD, 698) this feature is not explained, but it is extracted from background knowledge about these animals.
With the name bulldog, players are predicated of qualities such as fighting spirit, fearlessness, ferocity, and indifference to pain. The definition of this name (any of a breed of compact muscular short-haired dogs having widely separated forelegs and an undershot lower jaw that were developed in England to fight bulls; MWCD, 150) reflects mainly the external characteristics of the animal, which, with the exception of such a sign , like muscularity, are not subject to actualization. The features of the character of the animal are not reflected in the definition, but are known from the picture of the world.
The noun terrier (any of several usually small, active, and short-bodied breeds of dog, originally trained to hunt animals living underground; CCD, 1559) can also serve as the central component of a football team name. When using this name for naming players, such qualitative signs that name the nature and behavior of dogs of a given breed, such as “activity” and “endurance”, come to the fore. The last characteristic is selected by us from the definition offered by the Britannica Encyclopedia (terrier - any of several dog breeds developed, mostly in England, to find and kill vermin and for use in the sports offoxhunting and dog fighting. Bred to fight and kill, they often were pugnacious but are now bred for a friendlier temperament. Because terriers had to fit in rodent burrows, most breeds are small and lean and have a rough, wiry coat that requires little maintenance. They have a long head, square jaw, and deep -set eyes All terriers are vocal and inclined to chase and confront; The value of the updated name terrier also has the attribute "aggressiveness", which is derived from the characteristic "used to fight and kill".
The choice of the name husky allows players to emphasize qualities such as strength and endurance, characteristics that are not explicit in the definition of the name in question (a breed of Arctic sled dog with a thick dense coat, pricked ears, and a curled tail; CCD, 712). However, from the picture of the world it is known that huskies are a breed of sled dogs that can withstand long journeys and are capable of developing high speed.
The noun ram in the name of the team emphasizes such a sign as aggressiveness. This sign is implicit, it is not recorded in the dictionary definition of the name ram (an adult male sheep; MWCD, 966), however, from the worldview it is known that the ram has horns that he uses during a fight. Based on this trait, we deduce the aggressiveness trait.
The use of the zoonym rhino, which is an abbreviated form of the noun rhinoceros, allows the team to emphasize several qualities that are important for the players at once: firstly, the gigantic size of the athletes; secondly, invulnerability (this quality is derived from the feature thick skin, isolated from the definition of the name); thirdly, aggressiveness. At the same time, the last characteristic is not reflected in the dictionary entry of the noun rhinoceros (any of several mammals constituting a family of SE Asia and Africa and having either one horn on the nose or two horns. They have a very thick skin and a massive body; CCD, 1286), however, rhinos are known to be aggressive and may attack humans.
The zoonym razorback, which acts as the central element of the name, helps to emphasize such characteristics as aggressiveness and the high degree of threat that the team poses to the enemy. These characters are not explicated in the dictionary definition of the name razorback (a semiwild or wild pig of the southeastern US, having a narrow body, long legs, and a ridged back; CCD, 1246), which does not reflect the behavior of the animal in conditions of potential danger. However, from the background knowledge about these animals, it is known that the wild boar at the time of the threat is very aggressive and poses a great danger due to its large powerful fangs.
In the Uzbek language, we have identified the following names of animals as the central component of the name of the teams (see Table 2.4.):

№	Team names	Examples
1	Predatory mammals