Graves inscriptions, which are subject of analysis in the present paper, are a basic element of the sepulchral space of the Evangelical Reformed Parish burial ground in Zelów that brings together the descendants of Czech religious emigrants. It is assumed that the tombstone inscription is a linguistic and iconic message with a defined, conventionalized structure, containing both obligatory and optional verbal elements. This analysis will cover non-obligatory verbal elements represented by final formulas in the form of quotations from the Bible, mainly from the Old Testament (passim the Book of Psalms), less frequently from the New Testament (passim the Gospels). Biblical passages testify to the relationship of the deceased and the tombstone’s founder to God; moreover, they express the desire to commune with God and hope for the reward that is the eternal life.
Im Aufsatz wurde ein Versuch unternommen, das sprachlich-kulturelle Bild der Eheleute anhand der Analyse der Grabinschriften darzustellen. Die im südlichen Teil des deutschsprachigen Gebietes gesammelten Daten zeigten das Vorkommen der gemeinsamen Familiennamen, den Gebrauch bestimmter Lexeme (Ehegatte, Ehegattin, Eheleute, Eltern) und der Possessivpronomina (mein, unser), sowie die Verwendung der auf eine tiefe Verbundenheit hinweisenden Symbole: „+“, „&“, Trauringe. Sie bestätigten die in den Wörterbuchdefinitionen zentralen Merkmale der Ehe, die als eine lebenslange Verbindung zwischen Mann und Frau verstanden wird.
EN
The article attempts to present the linguistic-cultural image of spouses on the basis of grave inscriptions’ analysis. The corpus collected in the southern part of the German-language area shows the presence of common names, the use of certain lexemes (husband, wife, spouses, parents) and possessive pronouns (my, our) as well as the use of symbols indicating a deep bond, such as “+”, “&” or wedding rings. They confirm the central attributes of marriage, which is defined as a union between a man and a woman concluded for a lifetime.
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