has the idea of (increasing) intimacy and is related to the hand, and ‘hand’ = ‘mouth’
[12, p. 113]. Let us further examine -setz, where se- -si-, since e and i are a broken
pair of palatal vowels [14, p. 450]. Si- is the same as сі- < су = ‛darkness’ in Ukrainian.
"Let us note that phonetically the transformation of су into зад, сад (садить) should
be associated with the shift of у г[h]а and the substitution of г – д, т: 1) су >с г[h]а
>сда (>с’да > the Ukrainian сідати meaning ‛to sit down’, the Russian при-седа-
ть, etc.) >зда >зад; 2a) …сда > сад > посадить > садить" [4, p. 242]. What was
behind was thought to be invisible, dark, hence the overlapping of the names for the
darkness with the names for the objects having ‘posterior’ spatial localization (the
Russian сумрак) [12, p. 117]. The alternation tz = tt = t = d of the consonants makes
it possible to conclude that t/d performs the function of denoting the artifact quality.
When restoring the semantic foundation of this term, it is necessary to proceed from
the idea of retaliation, retribution for one's impious actions.
Consequently, the idea of retribution is the semantic foundation of the German
terms Gesetz (n) meaning ‛law’, gesetzlich meaning ‛legal’, Gesetzlichkeit (f) meaning
‛legitimacy’, and Gesetzmäßigkeit (f) meaning ‛regularity; legality’. The word Gesetz
is part of 94 terms. The process of de-symbolization of the said word can be viewed in
the context of the concretization and the semantic actualization of this lexical unit.
Klage (f) means ‛lawsuit; complaint; petition’ [8, p. 253]. Klage ist das Begehren
des Klägers an das Gericht auf Rechtsschutz gegenüber dem Beklagten [9, p. 235]. ‛A
lawsuit is the plaintiff's application to the court for legal protection vis-à-vis the
defendant’. Let us trace the etymology of this word: the Middle High German Klage,
the Old High German klaga meaning ‛pain, lamentations, charge (in court)’, *gal
meaning ‛to call, to shout’. Please also compare the Latin clamare meaning ‛to shout,
to yell, to appeal’ [10, p. 408]. V. V. Levitskiy also believes that the Indo-European
*gal- produces the root *klag- in the Germanic languages [13, p. 323]. In order to
restore the semantic foundation of the term, let us examine its first part, viz. kla-.
Initially, kla was a transition from kua, which, in turn, was formed from ku = ‛to’ [4,
p. 19]. ‛To’ correlates with ‛hand’ / ‛mouth’. A cry or a complaint is the result of the
action of the mouth.
In the second part of the word, -ge was supposedly formed from gа (hwa). Such
variations of vowels have been investigated and proven [4, p. 69]. Gа < ha < hua / hu,
cf. the Russian ни гугу meaning ‛not to speak, not to understand’ or the Ukrainian
гукати meaning ‛to call’. The research conducted allows us to state that hua / hu has
the meaning of ‛зва’-. And a call is the result of the speech activity.
Consequently, the ‛mouth’ is the semantic foundation of the following German
terms: klagen ‛meaning ‛to file a suit, to bring a case to court; to complain’, Kläger (m)
meaning ‛plaintiff, claimant’, Anklage (f) meaning ‛accusation’, Ankläger (m) meaning
‛prosecutor’.
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