"Time" through the Prism of the Language (on the Basis of the English, German and Russian Languages)

Intercultural communication defines the perception of time as a part of the culture. It is possible to see the features of time perception in the actions of people that represent a certain culture. The current study focuses on the way time perception can be traced within the language. The study aims to define the peculiarities of time perception reflected in the languages of the British, German and Russian cultures. In order to achieve this aim the following objectives were set: to define approaches to the definition of the concept of "time"; to describe models of time perception in England, Germany and Russia; to determine the connection between the perception of time, language and linguistic consciousness; to find and analyze English, German and Russian proverbs about time; to conduct a comparative analysis of proverbs in English, German and Russian with the results of the associative experiments involving the “time” stimulus. In this study, the perception of time is associated with language and linguistic consciousness, which allows us to argue about the possibility of verbalizing time perception. The reflection of the perception of time in the language is considered on the basis of phraseological units - proverbs and sayings, as well as on the basis of associations. The results of the study showed similarities and differences in the perception of time of the cultures of England, Germany and Russia, reflected in the languages of these cultures. The study will be useful for future exploration of connection between language and culture.