On the directions of birdsemic developments in English and Polish

Abstract

In the first place, it needs to be indicated that the purpose set to the paper is to carry out a comparative analysis of female bird metaphors in English and Polish. The analysis must ultimately be treated as an attempt to review and develop the data gathered in such works as: Górecka-Smolińska (2007), Górecka-Smolińska (2008), Górecka-Smolińska (2009), Górecka-Smolińska and Kleparski (2011), and Górecka-Smolińska and Kleparski (2012). In particular, the focus will be directed at the lexical items hen, duck and goose, which are directly related to one of the leading categories of the bird kingdom, namely domesticated birds. The investigation of the bird-derived lexicon in English and Polish will allow us to observe if both languages are equally prolific in forming bird metaphors. Furthermore, we may hope to be able to examine the directions of birdsemy in the two languages, that is whether both English and Polish are similar as far as the referents of bird metaphors are concerned. Last but not least, it is to be hoped that the examination of birdsemic developments in English and Polish will be productive enough to answer the question of the origins and reasons for the growth of bird metaphor in both languages.