THE SEMANTICS OF HOMOSEXUAL NOMINATIONS: A DIACHRONIC STUDY

The article aims to conduct a diachronic study of homosexual nominations within the framework of conceptual semantics. The author identifies the foci of conceptual structure underlying the nomination of lexical items and analyses their distribution from the 14th century to the present day. Specific patterns of semantic development of homosexual nominations are outlined. The findings show that at a certain historical period a limited amount of nominative foci is available for coining lexical items under study. The distribution of homosexual nominations and the productivity of foci are prone to change under the influence of sociocultural factors. It is shown that former lexical expressions of dislike and contempt are replaced with milder and more ambiguous items.