The semantics of ‘red' in Swedish

• Authors: Grażyna Pietrzak-Porwisz
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

PL

The paper presents an analysis of Swedish expressions featuring the word röd ‘red'. The semantics of the colour term is reconstructed through the analysis of the collocability of the adjective with names of different classes of objects and phenomena, both in the literal and figurative senses.The prototypical reference of the adjective is that of fresh blood. Another reference point linked to röd is fire. This is supported not only by the collocability but also by the linguistic connotations that arise from the prototypical meanings. Red as the color of blood is associated with bloodshed, sacrifice, violence and death. Fire is connected with destruction and with strong feelings such as love and rage. Associations with fire have also given rise to some idioms expressing ‘rapidity'.In reference to the human face and skin the red colour connotes vitality, good health and physical beauty. On the other hand, it is associated with disease and physical symptoms of emotions such as shame, fright and anger.Other meanings shown by the adjective are based on the phenomenon that red as a colour attracting attention has become a signal of danger and prohibition. In political language röd stands for ‘revolutionary' and ‘radical'.

Keywords

PL

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Jagielloński
• Journal: Studia Linguistica Universitatis Iagellonicae Cracoviensis
• Year: 2007
• Volume: 124

Dates

published

2007

online

2015-02-25

Contributors

author

Grażyna Pietrzak-Porwisz