On the similative uses of <i>esprit</i> and <i>dukh</i> in French and Russian

Abstract This paper examines the similative uses of the French esprit and the Russian dukh within the constructivist framework of the Culiolian school. Building on their etymology, morphological bases, and authentic corpus uses, we identify the parameters that constitute their core semantics and the principles of their variation. In similative constructions, esprit appears as an autonomous, initially unanchored force ( F ) that acquires qualitative determination ( esprit de N ). Rather than remaining fixed, F expands and disperses, animating each subject it encounters and directing their activity. The similative value arises when an occurrence ( X ) is recognized as the result of this oriented activity, insofar as X reveals properties identifiable with those of F . While both esprit and dukh share this semantic potential, their uses diverge: esprit tends toward stable anchoring in human subjects, whereas dukh retains autonomy, which accounts for its broader similative range in Russian.