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Test No 1: Stylistic Semasiology
STYLISTIC LEXICOLOGY It is known that words are not used in speech to the same extent. Since certain words occur less frequently than others, it is natural to presume that the difference between them is reflected upon the character of the words themselves. Those words that are indispensable in every act of communication have nothing particular about them - cause no definite associations. On the contrary, words used only in special spheres of linguistic intercourse have something attached to their meaning, a certain stylistic colouring. Indispensable words are stylistically neutral. Words of special spheres are stylistically coloured. This is the main division of words from the stylistic viewpoint. Thus, words pertaining to special spheres of linguistic intercourse possess some fixed stylistic tinge of their own. Regardless of the context, they reveal their attachment to one linguistic sphere or another. An English speaking person needs no context to state that such synonyms as chap - man - individual or dad - father - sire are stylistically different. But this differentiation does not remain stable. The stylistic value undergoes changes in the course of history, with the lapse of time. Therefore, stylistic classifications must be confined to synchronic aspect. So, all the words are divided into neutral and non-neutral. The general stylistic classification must show the relations of non-neutral words to neutral ones. It is evident that certain groups of stylistically coloured words must be placed, figuratively speaking, above the neutral words. These groups are formed by words with a tinge of officiality or refinement about them, poetic words, high-flown words in general. Other groups are to be placed below the neutral words. Their sphere of use is socially lower than the neutral sphere. We can name them «super-neutral» (elevated) and «sub-neutral» (words of lower ranks), respectively. Super-neutral Words Among elevated words we can find those which are used in official documents, diplomatic and commercial correspondence, legislation, etc. Such words have a tinge of pomposity about them. Their colouring is that of solemnity, and the words are termed «solemn words». The other variety of words is the poetic diction - words used in poetry and lyrical prose. They are «poetic words». True, it is hardly possible to delimitate strictly solemn words from poetic words. The stylistic colouring of elevation also occurs in archaisms, bookish words and foreign words. Archaisms. This term denotes words which are practically out of use in present-day language and are felt as obsolete. Archaisms may be subdivided into two groups. The first group is represented by «material archaisms», or «historical archaisms» - words whose referents have disappeared. The second group is formed by archaisms proper - those words which have been ousted by their synonyms. In the works of fiction the use of archaic words serves to characterize the speech of the bygone epoch, to reproduce its atmosphere. It should be noted that archaization does not mean complete reproduction of the speech of past epochs; it is effected by the use of separate archaic words. In other cases, occurring in the speech of a person, archaic words show his attachment to antiquity. In poetry archaisms are used to create romantic atmosphere, the general colouring of elevation. The colouring may be described as poetic and solemn at the same time. In official form of speech the function of archaisms is the same as in poetry (to rise above the ordinary matters of everyday life), but the colouring produced is different. It is the colouring of solemnity. Bookish words. These words belong to that stratum of the vocabulary which is used in cultivated speech only - in books or in such special types of oral communication as public speeches, official negotiations, etc. They are mostly loan-words, Latin and Greek. They are either high-flown synonyms of neutral words, or popular terms of science. Consider the following example: A great crowd came to see - A vast concourse was assembled to witness. Began his answer - commenced his rejoinder. A special stratum of bookish words is constituted by the words traditionally used in poetry («spouse» - husband or wife, «woe» - sorrow, «foe» - enemy. Some of them are archaic: «aught» - anything, «naught» - nothing, others are morphological variants of neutral words: «oft» - often, «list» - listen, «morn» - morning. Foreign words. Foreign words should not be confused with borrowed words. Foreign words in English are for the most part late borrowings from French - those words which have preserved their French pronunciation and spelling. For example, the French formula «Au revoir» used in English by those ignorant of French has somethong exquisite. In the French word «chic» the same tinge of elegance is felt. Sub-neutral Words Among the sub-neutral words the following groups are distinguished:
The first group lies nearest to neutral words. In their use there is no special stylistic intention whatever on the part of the speaker. The words of the second group have been created, so to speak, on purpose with a view to intentional stylistic degradation. The lowest place is taken by vulgarisms, i.e. words which due to their indecency are scarcely admissible in a civilized community. Colloquial words. They are words with a tinge of familiarity or inofficiality about them. There is nothing ethically improper in their stylistic coloring, except that they cannot be used in official forms of speech. To colloquialisms may be referred:
Jargon words. Jargon words appear in professional or social groups for the purpose of replacing those words which already exist in the language. Jargon words can be subdivided into two groups: professional jargonisms and social jargonisms. The first group consists of denominations of things, phenomena and process characteristic of the given profession opposed to the official terms of this professional sphere. Thus, professional jargonisms are unofficial substitutes of professional terms. They are used by representatives of the profession to facilitate the communication. The group of social jargonisms is made up of words used to denote non-professional thing relevant for representatives of the given social group with common interests (e.g., music fans, drug-addicts and the like). Such words are used by representatives of the given group to show that the speaker also belongs to it (I-also-belong-to-the-group function). Very often they are used for the purpose of making speech incoherent to outsiders. When used outside the group in which they were created, such words impart expressiveness to speech. In literary works jargonisms indicate to the fact that the speaker belongs to a certain professional or social group. Very close to jargon is cant. Cant is a secret lingo of the underworld - of criminals. The only primary reason why it appeared is striving to secrecy, to making speech incomprehensible to outsiders. It also serves as a sign of recognition. It is noteworthy that when jargon words and cant are used in literary works they are employed to show that the character belongs to a certain professional or social or criminal group (the function of characterization). Slang. Slang is the part of the vocabulary made by commonly understood and widely used words and expressions of humorous kind - intentional substitutes of neutral and elevated words and expressions. The psychological source of its appearance and existence is striving for novelty in expression. Many words and expressions now referred to slang originally appeared in narrow professional groups; since they have gained wide currency, they must be considered as belonging to slang. In creation of slang various figures of speech take part: the upper storey (head) - metaphor; skirt (girl) - metonymy; killing (astonishing) - hyperbole; whistle (flute) - understatement; clear as mud - irony. In slang we find expressions borrowed from written speech (e.g., «yours truly» used instead of the pronoun «I»). Some slang words are just distortions of literary words: cripes (instead of Christ). Sometimes slang words are just invented: shinanigan (trifles, nonsense). Nonce-words. Nonce-words are defined as chance words, occasional words, words created for the given occasion by analogy with the existing words by means of affixation, composition, conversion, etc. E.g., «There was a balconyful of gentlemen...» (the word balconyful was coined by analogy with the words «mouthful», «spoonful», «handful»). Being non-existent, unknown, yet comprehensible in the given situation, such words produce humorous effect. Being used just once, they disappear completely. Vulgar words. This is a stylistically lowest group of words which are considered offensive for polite usage. They may be subdivided into two groups: lexical vulgarisms and stylistic vulgarisms. To the first group belong words expressing ideas considered unmentionable in a civilized society. It is, so to speak, the very lexical meaning of such words which is vulgar. The second group - stylistic vulgarisms - are words the lexical meanings of which have nothing indecent or improper about them. Their impropriety in civilized life is due solely to their stylistic value - to stylistic connotation expressing derogatory attitude of the speaker towards the object of speech. In real life vulgar words help to express emotions, emotive and expressive assessment of the object spoken about. When used in works of literature they perform the function of characterization. If used too frequently, vulgar words loose their emotional quality and become mere expletives (e.g., «You are so darn good-looking»). Interaction of Stylistically Coloured Words and the Context The following general rules of stylistic interaction may be stated:
Dialect Words Against the background of the literary language dialect words as dialect peculiarities of speech are stylistically relevant. They show the social standing of the speaker. Nowadays it is only in the speech of the people deprived of proper school education forms of speech are signs of provincialism. On the whole dialects differ from the literary language most of all in the sphere of phonetics and vocabulary. Of special significance for English literature is the so-called Cockney - the dialect of the uneducated people in London. The characteristic features of the Cockney pronunciation are as follows:
EXERCISES Exercise 1. State the type and the functions of super-neutral words in the following examples:
«No, Herr Offizier, that’s just what I’ve to tell you. This morning, four gentlemen in all, we went out of Neustadt to meet the Herren Amerikaner» (Heym).
He lurks, nor casts his heavy eye afar... (Byron).
Exercise 2. State the type of sub-neutral words in the following examples:
Exercise 3. Determine the functions performed by colloquialisms in the following examples:
Exercise 4. Determine the functions performed by slang words in the following examples:
Exercise 5. Determine the functions performed by jargon words in the following examples:
- «In depth», he said. - You are right, she said. Deadly jargon. You fall into it. It shall never pass my lips again (I.Shaw).
- A floater? What in Christ’s name is a floater? It was a word Hendricks had picked up from his night reading. «A drowning», he said embarrassed (Benchley).
Exercise 6. Determine the functions performed by vulgarisms in the following examples:
Exercise 7. Analyze the vocabulary of the following; indicate the type and function of stylistically coloured units:
«Why, this is incredible. You completely disregard, completely overlook and disregard the fact that what the fellows were doing today was for my own benefit? That any question or discussion raised by Miss Ratched or the rest of the staff is done solely for therapeutic reasons? You must not have heard a word of Doctor Spivey’s theory of the Therapeutic Community, or not have had the education to comprehend it if you did. I’m disappointed in you, my friend, oh, very disappointed. I had judged from our encounter this morning that you were more intelligent - an illiterate clod, perhaps, certainly a backwoods braggart with no more sensitivity than a goose, but basically intelligent nevertheless. But, observant and insightful though I usually am, I still make mistakes». «The hell with you, buddy». «Oh, yes; I forgot to add that I noticed your primitive brutality also this morning. Psychopath with definite sadistic tendencies, probably motivated by an unreasoning egomania...» (Kesey).
Exercise 8. Observe the dialectal peculiarities in the following example: «That’s so, my Lord. I remember having tae du much the same thing, mony years since, in an inquest upon a sailing-vessel ran aground in the estuary and got broken up by bumping herself to bits in a gale. The insurance folk thocht that the accident wasna a’togither straightforwards. We tuk it upon oorselz tae demonstrate that wi’ the wind and tide setti’ as they did, the boat should ha’ been well-away fra’ the shore if they started at the hour they claimed tae ha’ done. We lost the case, but I’ve never altered my opeenion» (Sayers). Exercise 9. Consider the lexical peculiarities of the following abstracts paying special attention to interaction of different types of vocabulary:
Exercise 10. Analyze the vocabulary of the following abstract; determine the type and the functions of stylistically coloured lexical units: ...«I got a nice little Indian girl down in Torreon», began the other man. «Say, it’s a crime. Why, she don’t even care if I marry her or not! I-» «That’s the way with ‘em», broke in the other. «Loose! That’s what they are. I’ve been in the country seven years». «And do you know», the other man shook his finger severely at me. «You can tell all that to a Mexican Greaser and he’ll just laugh at you! That’s the kind of dirty skunks they are!» «They’ve got no pride», said Mac, gloomily. «Imagine», began the first compatriot. «Imagine what would happen if you said that to an American!» Mac banged his fist on the table. «The American Woman, God bless her!» he said. «If any man dared to dirty the fair name of the American Woman to me, I think I’d kill him». He glared around the table, and as none of us besmirched the reputation of the Femininity of the Great Republic, he proceeded. «She is a Pure Ideal, and we’ve got to keep her so. I’d like to hear anybody talk rotten about a woman in my hearing!» We drank our Tom-and-Jerries with the solemn righteousness of a Convention of Galahads. «Say, Mac», said the second man abruptly. «Do you remember them two little girls you and I had in Kansas City that winter?» «Do I?» glowed Mac. «And remember the awful fix you thought you were in?» «Will I ever forget it!» The first man spoke. «Well», he said, «you can crack up your pretty senoritas all you want to. But for me, give me a clean little American girl!»... (J.Reed. Mac-American). |
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