On the anthropocentric theory and Serbian language data

Abstract

The goals of this paper are twofold. First, it is intended to highlight the reasons why now, in our days, many competent language investigators mention the problematic status of the famous anthropocentric theory. Second, it argues for the investigation of a problem which has so far received almost no attention, i.e. it focuses on some earlier Serbian lexical data, pointing to the unexpected fact that they fail to disclose the essential Human/non-human distinction. Namely, the lexical units životinja, živina, živinče have been used in Šumadija to denote all living things, including human beings.

Posle osvrta ne samo na to kako nauka danas gleda na teoriju antropocentrizma, već i na one uvide u antropocentrično ustrojavanje sintaksičkih konstrukcija koji su objavljeni u našim domaćim publikacijama sledi fokusiranje jedne dosad zanemarivane teme, a to je svedočenje leksičkih fakata o pojmovnoj distinkciji "čovek"/"ostala živa bića", uz podsećanje na činjenicu da su se, u govornoj zoni Šumadije, izrazi životinja, živina i živinče odnosili na sve žive stvorove, pa i na ljude.