DOI 10.51955/2312-1327_2023_3_90

Tatiana I. Semenova

Abstract. The study discusses linguistic categorization of erroneous cognitions verbalized by linguistic units like mistake, make a mistake, error, blunder, make a blunder, gaffe, make a gaffe, wrong, get something wrong, make a wrongdoing, wrongness. Of central concern in the research is the issue of the modus (interpretative) character of the concept MISTAKE that serves as the conceptual basis of the modus category of erroneous cognitions. The paper highlights the issue that the concept MISTAKE as a conceptually complex knowledge structure activates two types of knowledge representation: the primary knowledge representation of the events in the physical world (Тelling him the truth)) and the secondary evaluative representation of the knowledge once verbalized (was a mistake).  The paper focuses on the interpretative function of negative evaluative interpretation that serves as the conceptual basis of the modus category of erroneous cognitions. The author comes to the conclusion that the modus category of erroneous cognitions serves to interpret the secondary representation of knowledge from the perspective of the negative evaluation conceptualized as ‘an action  that produces a result that is not intended.’ The modus function of the negative evaluative interpretation serves as the conceptual basis of the modus category of erroneous cognitions. The findings obtained may be helpful for further study of the processes of evaluative interpretation and evaluative categorization as an integral part of human cognition.  

Kew words: mistake, concept, interpretation, modus category, modus categorization, evaluative interpretation, categorical status

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