Serbian stožer in the light of ethnolinguistics

The paper aims to demonstrate the feasibility of studying Slavic lexical units from the ethnolinguistic perspective. The direct and figurative meanings of the Serbian stožer and its derivatives are identified, the symbolism of the word is analyzed. The possible variants of its etymology related with the i.-e. (s)teg, that is ‘pole, stake, stick, pole, beam’, are taken into consideration. The ethnolinguistic aspect of research into common Slavic lexical units involves analysis of their direct, figurative or symbolic meanings when used in the diverse thematic areas. Special attention is paid to the functions and symbolism of the corresponding objects denoted by this lexeme and its phonetic variants across the Balkan Slavic languages. The meanings of the actual material culture objects denoted by stožer are shown through their use in the corresponding agricultural rituals including the various ritual and magical practices deemed to ensure higher land productivity; the relevant object’s sacred function as a pillar of strength for the entire race/family is highlighted by specific family rituals. Applying an areal etymology approach the paper clarifies the distribution of the word’s meanings in both synchrony and diachrony. The findings support the idea that the figurative meanings of this word and its derivatives emerge in those South Slavic languages and dialects where stožer denotes “a pole in the middle of a threshing floor around which horses or other animals are driven to do the threshing”, with ritual and magical practices associated with this object of material folk culture also widespread. This case study shows that, in consistence with the lexical criterion of the South Slavic linguistic territory, the border of “Balkanian” lexis usage can be moved much farther westward from the Balkan Sprachbund area, traditionally limited by the western border of the Torlak Serbian dialects established based on the occurrence of their phonetic and grammatical features.