Defying the changes of lexical meaning in the associative experiment (on the example of lexeme delo)

The article is devoted to revealing the dynamics of the meaning of the lexeme delo for the last 30 years. To achieve this goal, the author carries out a complex analysis of the lexeme on the material of the Russian dictionaries: definition analysis, component analysis, analysis of the Russian Associative Dictionary (RAD) and their comparison with the data of the associative experiment. It has been established that the conceptual content of the lexeme is business-proof, since the reactions of the RAD respondents and the values of the lexical unit in modern semes, that are part of the core semantic structure of the word delo modeled on the basis of a definitional analysis, coincide in the reactions of the respondents obtained in the course of the associative experiment. The idea of Yu.N. Karaulov that the importance of lexemes remains unchanged among respondents for 2-3 generations has been proved. Changes in the lexical meaning of the word delo, revealed when comparing the dictionary data and the results of the experiment, are viewed as the relevance of the periphery of the sememes and the values of the lexeme associated with them. The conducted research confirmed the expediency of using the experimental method in studying language processes in their connection with the thinking of native speakers.