The dominant semantic features of the designations of the concept ‘freedom’ in Russian, English and Spanish

Abstract

Introduction. This article examines the concept of FREEDOM, which represents one of the fundamental values shaping a nation’s worldview and regulating the behavior patterns of its people.

Materials and Methods. The research material comprises the designations of three concepts — namely, СВОБОДА, FREEDOM and LIBERTAD — in three languages (English, Russian, and Spanish). The study employs comparative linguistic methods.

Results. Interpreting the lexical meaning of these concept designations in the three languages made it possible to identify how the respective nations’ cognitive experience is conceptualized. The study aimed to ascertain whether the meanings of the three lexemes are compatible across the three cultures — in other words, whether FREEDOM can be considered a universal concept. In Russian, the dominant semantic features of the lexeme свобода include the subject’s will to act without physical or psychological restrictions. Additionally, all the examined sources specifically emphasize the absence of restrictions upon the subject’s expression of their thoughts. In English, two lexemes were investigated: liberty and freedom. While their semantic cores are largely identical, minor differences were identified. In Spanish, the semantic structure of the lexeme libertad shows features mostly similar to those in Russian and English.

Conclusions. The study demonstrates that the three concept designations across all three languages share common features, such as the subject’s ability to exercise their will and the absence of any physical or psychological restrictions. However, certain differences were also detected. In Russian, the absence of restrictions on expressing thoughts is particularly prominent. In English, this meaning is not identified as prominent; instead, ‘political and social rights and privileges resulting from legislative codification’ emerge as the dominant semantic feature. In Spanish, the semantics of the lexeme libertad shows a more explicit detailed breakdown of features, expressly mentioning the subject’s personal responsibility for their actions and detailing the conditions of restrictions.