CONCEPT “ACQUAINTANCE” (ON THE MATERIAL OF UKRAINE, ENGLAND AND USA)

The purpose of the article is to describe the concept “acquaintance” to improve the people’s understanding of semiotic means of meeting people in Ukraine, Great Britain and the USA spreading them to the social norms of communication and international collaboration. The research engages the comparative analysis of people’s verbal or nonverbal means of meeting people in Ukraine, Great Britain and the USA, lexical semantics, interpretation, conceptual analysis which reveal the cultural stereotypes of different nations. People contact due to their origin, likings, knowledge of conventions and social situations. Verbal and nonverbal semiotics in implied senses can orient, prevent, provoke or stimulate acquaintance. The fatic function (of meeting people comprises cognitive, emotional and social (conventional) information. Communication performs various functions in life disclosing the implied senses of symbols and sayings: security, warning, calling, agreeing or refusing, relaxing or straining, pleasing or displeasing, attracting or repulsing, etc. Verbal and nonverbal signals can stimulate or provoke acquaintance, they can be deceiving or misunderstood. Observing meeting traditions in Ukraine, GB and USA one can notice the similar requirements of good disposition in words and face, some difference in expressions and nonverbal signals. The concept “acquaintance” reflects the space, time and person reference. In meeting traditions in Ukraine, GB and USA the similar requirements of good attitude are observed as the principal cultural element at the core of the concept as well as difference in verbal and nonverbal reference.. Changes in the conceptual semantics can be determined as mutual penetration of the contact making traditions in communication.