Linguistic analysis based on cultural knowledge reveals the specific of the language picture of the world and national stereotypes. Special material for such researches is image means of the language that include image words proper -morphologically motivated language items with metaphorical inner form [Blinova O.I.]. The article is devoted to the national specific of Russian image words proper with the semantics intellect which are described in comparison with English words. The words are united to the image lexical-semantic field Intellectual abilities, which is a part of a big field Person. All words are given in the frames of the field, which can be divided into 3 lexical-semantics groups: Good intellectual abilities, Bad intellectual abilities, Peculiarities of mind. The group Bad intellectual abilities consists of 86 words, the associatives of which are, firstly, the object of image characterization, mind, secondly, its metonymical creation head (place of the mind), brain (produces thoughts), thought (product of mind), thirdly, the qualities of subjects (weak, narrow, empty). English picture of the world demonstrates great interest to the word head as an associative of the words characterizing intellect from the bad side. The common is the parallel stupid man stupid animal, the specific is in the image basis and its lexical expressions. The group Good intellectual abilities has only 2 Russian words -glubokomislenniy (thoughtful), golovastiy (brainy) and 1 English word egghead (clever, with a head like an egg). In Russian and English cultures intellectual abilities are expressed with the help of the image head. The difference is that the Russian symbol of the mind is a big head; in English it is associated with an egg. The analysis of the group Peculiarities of mind lets us talk about negative 214 attitude to absent-mindedness in both cultures. In Russian this quality is associated with an open mouth or throwing something. The Russian language also points out the negative treat a senseless deal, which is associated with the image of water or upper part of something. There are image words in the English language which characterize imagination. The intellectual process of fantasy is based on metaphors of professional activity; the idea of unreality is in the objects of this activity (monger of ballads, to build castles). Russian and English pictures of the world reveal common views and national difference in the process of evaluating intellectual abilities of a person. They choose the brightest images that have peculiarities explained with the help of traditions, national way of thinking

Рассматриваются национальная специфика образной лексики русского языка с семантикой «интеллект человека», анализируемой на фоне сопоставительных данных английского языка. Подробно описан фрагмент русской языковой картины мира, представленный собственно образными словами, характеризующими умственные способности человека