Linguistic temporality in the diachronic perspective: corpus aspect

In the scope of complex cognitive and linguoculturological approach, aiming at investigating the triple unity of language, mind and culture, the author analyzes cognitive mechanisms of change in the meaning of New Testament saying "Dovleet dnevi zloba yego" (Mf. 6: 34) / "Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof" (St. Matthew 6: 34). This approach provides deeper insight into the essence of mental schemes underlying the process of lexicalisation of biblical micro-texts both as fixed phrases (quotations) and idioms. The semantic shifts of microdiachronic character, which touched upon the semantic structure of biblical idiomatic expressions in 19-20th centuries and led to substantial restructuring of axiological and temporal components of meaning, are analyzed on the data of Russian National Corpus. The author proves that the use of biblical quotations outside their original context leads to their complete semantic transformation. The loss of original meaning is connected with the loss of key axiological and temporal characteristics typical for New Testament texts.