Associative-Verbal Field Migrant in the Russian Linguistic Consciousness

This article introduces the associative-verbal field migrant in linguistic consciousness based on the reactions of native Russian speakers to the word-stimulus migrant . The research determined the specifics of Russian speakers’ attitudes towards migration and migrants. Relying on the value orientations of modern Russian speakers, the author modelled a fragment of linguistic consciousness using associative dictionaries based on the association game. The analysis revealed the core and periphery of the associative-verbal field migrant and the predominating paradigmatic connection between words. The systemic organization of semantic groups included similarity, hypo-hyperonymy, and synonymy. The thematic groups obtained focused on the spheres of migrants’ activities in Russia, crime, reasons behind migration, and the geographical and national identity of migrants. The national and cultural specifics proved to be that under migrants , native Russian speakers mean workers from post-Soviet countries. The value system of the recipients demonstrated a certain degree of tolerance: they accepted the foreign cultural values if they were material, e.g., national cuisine or clothes. However, the emotional and evaluative words were mostly negative, e.g., expressive ethnonyms, depersonification, and zoomorphic metaphors. The results obtained can be used to compile and supplement the article migrant in associative dictionaries.