About Lexicon, Stylistics, and Semantics of Water in the Novel Most by Jasmina Musabegović

Abstract

The main subject of this paper is the lexical-semantic classification of water-related lexicon in the novel Most (Bridge) by Jasmina Musabegović. We will explain the stylistic expressiveness of selected water-related lexemes, as well as the way the author constructs her identity and the identities of her characters through the conceptualization of the experience of water. The water lexics are analysed as dominant in relation to other types of words and classified into eleven lexical-semantic fields. Total of 79 water nouns have been registered. As expected, the most common water-related lexemes are ‘voda’ and ‘most’. Three water nouns are described: voda, most and tihanj, and it is concluded that lexeme ‘water’ has an associative and symbolic role; lexeme ‘most’, as a strong position of the text, since it is also a title of the novel, represents change, a path and growing up. The nonce word tihanj has a specific cultural and linguistic meaning in the context of the novel.