Culturemes: What Are They and How to Study Them? .......... 21
Synopsis
Polish ethnolinguistic research primarily focuses on describing the linguistic image of the world, the linguistic stereotype, and the cultural concept. Culturemes stand out against this background; they are ethnolinguistic units, key words that, in the plane of expression, are represented by single lexemes, but in the plane of content, have such rich meanings that they allow for an understanding of the specificity of a given national, ethnic, or regional community. It is through culturemes, among others, that a community defines its identity, attitude toward tradition and values, as well as its way of coping in present times. Due to their frequent untranslatability, the lexemes representing them exhibit an ethnocentric attitude (they are often components of an autostereotype) as words of collective memory. The article discusses the concept of culturemes, methods of typing culturemes, and lists Polish dialectal (Podhale) culturemes, as well as general Polish and Slavic culturemes.
