DECENTITY IN GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN LINGUOCULTURES (A COMPARATIVE ASPECT)

Abstract

The article examines the content of the value concept of decency in German and Austrian linguistic cultures. Linguists state that on the basis of linguistic data, including data from lexicographic sources, it is possible to establish the content of value categories, since the individual’s thinking is verbalized. However, this seems difficult if representatives of two different linguistic cultures speak the same language. Data from a free association experiment allow to establish such differences. Differences in the content of the concept under study are shown by comparing data from a free associative experiment conducted with speakers of German and Austrian linguistic culture in 2023. As a result, it is proven that German respondents do not know the content of the concept under study. They equate decency and politeness, which cannot be considered true. On the contrary, Austrian respondents associate decency with honesty and respect for others. At the same time, for Austrian respondents, decency is inseparable from obedience, which also does not fully reflect the content of the value concept being studied.