JĘZYKOWY OBRAZ WOJNY W INSKRYPCJACH NAGROBNYCH I PIEŚNIACH LUDOWYCH

The paper aims at capturing the lexical, semantic and cultural similarities and differences between the presentations of World War II events in tombstone inscriptions and folk epic songs. The study is based on a collection of over 10,()()() tombstone inscriptions of Pomorze Zachodnie (the Polish part of Pomerania) and a collection of war songs of the Kielce region (south-central Poland). The linguistic picture of war in tombstone inscriptions is rather simple and narrow, such is the specificity of those texts. The informative function reigns supreme. In war songs, the picture, although simple as well, is emotionally heavily charged. It is characterized by univocality of judgment, rich vocabulary and phraseology, sharp style and poignant expressions. Both types of text are addressed to future generations in order to commemorate important events and ordinary people worthy of the highest respect. They preserve memories about people and pass down the family, local and national ethos to prosperity.