The Concept of ZDRAVÍ [HEALTH] in the Czech Language

Abstract

In this article, the authors present the key findings of a study conducted within the international comparative research EUROJOS-2, on the basis of which they formulate a comprehensive cognitive definition of the concept of zdraví [health] in Czech. The research methodology is primarily grounded in modern ethnolinguistics, the theory of linguistic worldview, and the theory of conceptual metaphor. Through the analysis of systemic data (various types of explanatory dictionaries, collections of idioms and paroemias), empirical data (a questionnaire survey conducted among university students), and textual data (folklore, media, professional and other texts), the authors reconstruct the linguistic view of zdraví in Czech. The study of etymology, phraseology and the most recent media texts confirms that the concept of zdraví has remained the most valuable asset in the Czech linguistic worldview for centuries. It is perceived as a prototypical manifestation of life, standing in opposition to illness and death. Apart from its connection to the concept of life, zdraví is closely associated with the concepts of strength, stability, wholeness, movement, youth, etc. However, the conceptualization of zdraví has undergone gradual modifications as well. While in older Czech language zdraví was primarily understood as a physical condition without pain and illness, granted to humans by God for a limited time, the current generation of Czech speakers emphasize the inseparability of physical and mental well-being, subjective experience, social stability, and individual responsibility.