A corpus-driven usage-feature analysis of the concept "Fate" in modern Russian and American English languages

Sammanfattning: The results of Multiple Correspondence Analysis suggest that regardless of changes in perception of ‘FATE’ in American and Russian cultures during the last two centuries, the main distinctions such as perception of ‘FATE’ as Deterministic but Non-Agentive (things may happen but it is up to an individual to take charge) in American culture and Deterministic and Agentive in Russian culture (things happen and one has to accept it as a burden) remain present and are still significant for the modern language users. American- English language users tend to relate to Justification of ‘FATE’ as neutral and Russian ones as more unjust. In relation to Axiology, English lexemes fate, destiny and fortune tend to gravitate toward positive ways of describing fate, while all Russian lexemes, except the lexeme ‘fate’ which shows to be in between of those polarities, demonstrate their tendency to be used in the description of the negative sides of fate. Both cultures tend to personify ‘FATE’.