Naive ideas about the German language in humorous discourse

the adoption of the anthropocentric paradigm in the humanities and the rapid development of cognitive linguistics and linguoculturology have led to significant changes in the study of language and a shift in interest towards studying the ideas of ordinary users about language, which allows us to obtain valuable information about language as a social and cultural phenomenon, which indicates the relevance of this topic. The purpose of the article is to analyze naive ideas about the German language based on Mark Twain’s humorous essay “Die schreckliche deutsche Sprache” and German everyday jokes. The analysis of the humorous discourse made it possible to identify which aspects of the language and linguistic phenomena, being objects of comic playing, are particularly difficult to assimilate in the minds of native speakers of German and those studying it as a foreign language. The results obtained can be used in further research that contributes to understanding the mechanisms of the formation of stereotypes and prejudices about languages, improving intercultural communication and teaching methods of the German language.

anthropocentrism, “naive linguistics”, German, anecdote (Witz), linguistic anecdote (Wortwitz), situational anecdote (Sachwitz)