The aim of this paper is to analyse the definitions of the word wstyd ‘shame, embarrassment’ formulated by the students of the Faculty of Humanities at Maria Curie Skłodowska University in Lublin (overall, one hundred and fifty people). Before the analysis is undertaken, the author refers to what is known about this complex and equivocal feeling. Most of the students provided open, cognitive definitions of the word, but some of them also gave closed, structural and ostensive definitions. In the majority of the instances, the notion was defined in negative terms, but in a few cases its positive aspects were mentioned. In such cases, wstyd was described as a regulator of behaviour, as a factor which prevents people from acting in socially unacceptable ways. Hence such terms used in its description as a compass or a brake.
The aim of the paper is to compare the common and specialist linguistic conceptualization of emotions such as wstyd/shame/embarrassment and duma/pride. The point of departure is the question: What role do languages play in forming thoughts and feelings? In the main part, we describe how wstyd/shame/embarrassment and duma/pride are understood in general Polish (compared to English) and analyze the terms and ways used by psychologists and psychotherapists to portray these emotions in their works (in texts written in Polish or translated into Polish from English). In conclusion, the paper emphasizes the value of interdisciplinary cooperation between psychologists and linguists as regards research into emotions.
PL
Celem pracy jest porównanie potocznej i specjalistycznej językowej konceptualizacji przeżyć z kategorii WSTYDU i DUMY. Punkt wyjścia stanowi pytanie o rolę języka w kształtowaniu myśli i uczuć. Część główna obejmuje opis konceptualizacji wstydu i dumy utrwalonych w polszczyźnie ogólnej (w porównaniu z językiem angielskim) oraz analizę stosowanych przez psychologów i psychoterapeutów terminów i sposobów obrazowania tych przeżyć (w tekstach pisanych po polsku lub tłumaczonych z języka angielskiego na język polski). W zakończeniu wskazano na wartość interdyscyplinarnej współpracy między psychologami i lingwistami w zakresie badań nad emocjami.
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