Continuity as a Phenomenon of Semantic Derivation in Slavic Dialectal Time Denotations

The article examines the phenomenon of semantic continuity in the South Slavic (Bulgarian) and North Slavic temporal lexis. Dialectal polysemantic words denoting time as a general concept, as well as its periods, often acquire meanings from other conceptual spheres. This semantic convergence is based on a shared image or symbol, creating a transition from one lexical meaning to another, known as continuity. By semantic continuity, we refer to the non-discreteness of the semantic sphere of words, which includes the gradual transition of lexical meanings between different semantic spheres. The dialectal Slavic material reveals that the semantics of time is inseparable from that of space, as well as from various aspects of human history and economic and cultural life. Another notable feature in the interpretation of time in the polysemous Slavic dialectal lexis is the lack of clear boundaries between the designations of the past, present and future. Across the Slavic linguistic area, polysemous lexemes are attested that synthesise the concept of time as a continuous space, with fragments that are not separated from each other, illustrating how, in folk consciousness, the past transitions into the present and the present into the future, thus forming a unified temporal continuum.