"Pod of salt" as a marker of family anomaly: a linguocognitive analysis of S. Zakharova's story "A Pod of Salt for Two"

The subject of the study in this article is the linguocognitive and semantic means of representing the concept of "family" and its anomalies in literary texts. The object of the study is the short story by contemporary regional author Svetlana Zakharova titled "A Pood of Salt for Two." The author examines such aspects of the theme as the structure of the concept of "family" (conceptual, figurative, and value components), its etymology, and lexicographical representation in detail. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the spatial organization of the text (the family space vs. the space of past relationships) as a marker of family well-being or discord, as well as the verbalization of the images of family members (Stepan, Tatyana, Katya) and their relationships through a system of expressive means. The study also explores the symbolic significance of the key phraseologism "a pood of salt," which is highlighted in the title. The methodological basis of the study consists of a descriptive-analytical method that includes observation, interpretation, and classification of the linguistic material, as well as a method of conceptual analysis that revealed the structure and content of the concept of "family." Additionally, the method of linguistic analysis of the literary text is employed, aimed at studying the functional burden of lexical and figurative means in creating a family linguistic picture of the world. The novelty of the research lies in the comprehensive analysis of the representation of family relationships and anomalies based on the material of Zakharova's little-studied short story. The work identifies and describes for the first time the linguistic mechanisms by which the author constructs the opposition of idyllic and crisis chronotopes of the family. A significant contribution of the author to the study of the topic is the demonstration that markers of family anomaly serve not only direct nominations but also implicit means. The main conclusions are: the spatial organization of the story serves as a key indicator of family dysfunction (the domestic space of the family is only outlined, while the space of past relationships is detailed and emotionally charged); the representation of images is built on the contrast between the pragmatism of the wife and the sensuality of another woman; the phraseologism "a pood of salt" in the title is reinterpreted - instead of being a measure of long acquaintance, it becomes a symbol of the illusory nature of mutual understanding in a marriage that outwardly seems prosperous.