Integration and differentiation functions of the British supererstitions as the etnosemiotics manifestation

The article considers superstitious representations of the British about the surrounding nature, which are an integral part of their ethnocultural semiotics. The dictionary definitions of “superstition” and “prejudice” concepts in Russian and English cultures are analyzed. The presence of a common seme “irrationality” allows us to consider the concept of “superstition” as part of the concept of "prejudice". The semantic field of the lexeme - prejudice” has a large set of definitions and corresponds to the English words “prejudice” and “superstition”. The main function of superstition is prognostic, predictive and manifests itself both at the interethnic and national levels. Integrative function of superstitions in the content plan becomes the basis for uniting people due to common representations and images associated with natural objects (crows, cock in Russian and English cultures). While the differentiation function of superstitions emphasizes the ethnocultural singularity of the spiritual and material culture of peoples (black cat, hare, elder, butterfly). In our time, as in the distant past, the surviving superstitious traditions unite the peoples into cultural worlds.