The article discusses the psychological problems of ethnonym’s language status theory in psycholinguistics. Representation of ethnonyms is considered as mental attribution and language nomination. In particular, the psychological status of etnonyms and civil or ethnic identity markers in contemporary Russian mentality is considered. The connections of language nominations for civil and ethnic identity with archetype «friend or foe» in everyday consciousness are studied. The objective is realized by means of Fauconnier’s mental spaces construction. Using the mathematical method of semantic analysis in Fauconnier’s theory allows simulating the process of semiosis in fact. The procedure involves the construction of not only semantic, but also motivational mental spaces, formalizes polysemy and value splitting models. The solution of semiotic problems is illustrated by the study of ethnonyms and language nominations for the attribution of ethnic and civic identity of the nation. Searching the mental and linguistic attributions for ethnic and civic consciousness reveals the identity boundaries of civil and ethnic mentality of the nation and demonstrates the risks causing society split, ethnic prejudices and nationalism. Regional sampling is used for experimental example.