Semantic evolution of the word "интерес" (interest) in the Russian language: from financial to cognitive-emotional sphere

The article is devoted to the evolution of the semantic structure of the borrowed word "интерес" (interest) in the Russian language. The aim of the research is to establish patterns in the change of meanings of the lexeme "интерес" in Russian, based on lexicographical sources from the 18th-21st centuries (explanatory, dialect, and specialized dictionaries) and corpus data. The scientific novelty lies in the systematic description of metaphorization and metonymization as key mechanisms of semantic shifts, the comprehensive combination of lexicographical and corpus data, the refinement of the chronology and hierarchy of changes, and the identification of previously unstudied aspects of the socio-cultural pragmatics of the investigated lexeme. The results of the research consist in the proposal of a classification of lexical-semantic variants of the polysemous word "интерес", the establishment of directions and the identification of the main mechanisms of semantic transformation (metaphorization, metonymization) of meanings, and the identification of two leading vectors of change: narrowing of meanings in lexical-semantic variants of the material and economic sphere, and expansion of meanings towards abstract concepts 'attention', 'need', 'significance'. It is shown that the semantic structure of the polyseme "интерес" has undergone an evolution from a financial concept to a cognitive-emotional category; it is revealed that the changes are due to both internal linguistic mechanisms and shifts in the public perception of the concepts of value and significance.