ORIGIN AND SEMANTICS OF LAUDATIVE AND PEJORATIVE CONCEPTS

This article examines the origin, semantic structure, and evolutionary patterns of laudative and pejorative concepts in natural language. Through analysis of semantic change processes, particularly amelioration and pejoration, this study explores how words acquire positive or negative connotations over time and what mechanisms drive these transformations. Drawing upon theoretical frameworks from historical linguistics, semantics, and pragmatics, the research demonstrates that laudative and pejorative terms constitute parallel yet asymmetrical linguistic phenomena shaped by sociocultural values, cognitive processes, and communicative needs. The investigation reveals that pejoration occurs more frequently than amelioration, reflecting a general human tendency toward negative bias in language evolution. However, both processes serve essential communicative functions, enabling speakers to express evaluation, construct social identities, and negotiate power relations. Through examination of specific lexical items and their semantic trajectories, this article establishes that the boundary between laudative and pejorative meaning is neither fixed nor universal but rather emerges through complex interactions between linguistic structure, social practice, and cultural ideology. The findings contribute to understanding how evaluative language operates as a dynamic system responsive to changing human attitudes and social conditions.