The mental image of fox in the japanese linguistic world view

Abstract
Linguistic picture of the world is the information about the world which contained in language, and which native speakers fix in their minds through linguistic units. After analyzing the language, it is possible to understand how native speakers perceive a certain image. The image of fox which is found not only in old tales but also in mass culture is very popular in Japan. The image of fox is ambivalent enough since the fox in Japanese culture is perceived both as an evil magical animal and as a messenger of deities. Fox is associated with a lot of Japanese beliefs as well as various proverbs and sayings. The article considers the mental image of fox in the Japanese linguistic world view. An analysis of different words and phrases included lexeme “fox” is provided. Great attention is paid to paroemias including yojijukugo. Names of magical species of fox are considered since the variety of these names also confirms the significance of the fox image for Japanese and emphasizes the characteristic of fox as a magical animal. The article addresses relationship of fox with deities Inari and Dakini which is also reflected in the language.

Keywords: fox, paroemias, yojijukugo, linguistic world view, Japan