On the problem of semantic potential expansion of the German verb "sch"uren"

The present paper is concerned with the special aspects of functioning of the emotive causative verb «schüren». Cognitive linguistic considers emotions as concepts, frames and scripts. Cognitive script of emotive causative verb «schüren» presents the situation with the typical actors with fixed social roles, that it is a prototypical causative script. The verb belongs to the group of emotive causatives of neutral emotional modification. This group is somewhat conditional in nature, because it includes, firstly, verbs that realize the meaning of neutral modification of the emotional tone of the object of causation, and secondly, it includes lexemes that function in speech as operators of the causative link in functional structures, which in the context actualize both positive and negative emotions. The sign of emotion is determined by the group of the noun or adjective, the verb itself implements only the meaning of causation. The verb “schüren” refers to the above group due to the fact that its semantic potential includes situations actualizing the causation of both positive and negative emotions, as well as situations of causation of emotions without indicating their sign on the “positive / negative” scale. The empirical evidence suggests that we are observing a process of semantic transformation, expansion and transfer of meaning, with possible subsequent desemantization. Since the verb, the semantic potential of which initially assumed the actualization of negative feelings, gradually acquires the ability to actualize positive values. The set of noun groups responsible for the emotive component of the causative structure is expanding. The expansion of semantic potential may indicate the development of the emotive component of this verb.