Homelessness as an anti-value based on the materials of lexico- graphical data

Abstract

Based on eight monolingual Russian dictionaries, the paper analyzes the concept of homeless and juxtaposes it with the notion of home. The dictionaries characterize home- lessness with respect to its four aspects: physical, social, metaphysical, and legal. In Rus- sian several lexemes are used to convey it: бомж, бесприютный, and бродяга, among others. A thorough analysis has enabled the author to define a homeless individual as an individual who roams the streets, scraggly and unkempt, lacks permanent housing and family, and comes from the poor lower classes. It turns out that the dictionaries focus mostly on the physical dimension, i.e. lack of a permanent place of residence, neglecting the factors contributing to homelessness and its causes.