The conceptualisation of primary emotions in the Serbian language (The case of verbs expressing joy, sadness, fear and anger)

The paper analyses the conceptual mechanisms underlying development of secondary emotional meanings ?non-emotional? verbs (in relation to their primary meaning). Being abstract, psychological entities, emotions are formalised and expressed by linguistic means using lexis. Emotional represent a type this lexis: they denote emotions, relationships processes, expression an situation as whole. research material consists 92 which classified according two criteria: a. semantic role experiencer, i.e. whether experiencing or provoking emotion (emotionally-active emotionally-passive verbs) b. criterion emotion, belong domain joy, sorrow, fear anger. analysis showed that conceptualised specific metaphors, based on pleasure: discomfort distinction. metaphor MAN IS THE CONTAINER FOR EMOTIONS general metonymic rule PHYSIOLOGICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF ARE EMOTION ITSELF, for conceptualisation verbs. It has also been shown certain verb?s meaning potentially develops meaning; in other words, each intrinsic source concretises its abstract meanings.