Stylistics and other Linguistic Disciplines.

As it is obvious (очевидно) from the review of the brunches of stylistics, linguistics is closely connected with other linguistic disciplines, such us phonetics, lexicology, grammar, due to (благодаря) the common study source (источников). It is also connected with semasiology whose sphere of study is that of meaning. It is also connected with omonosiology in creating such stylistic devices as metaphor and metonymy.

Literary stylistics inevitably (неизбежно) overlaps (пересекается) with areas of literary studies, such us literary genres, the art of composition etc.

Decoding stylistics in many ways borders (граничит) cultural studies including the history of art, aesthetic trends (направлениями) and even information theory.

 

TOPIC 2 The Basic Notions of Stylistics.

The Notion of Context.

Contextual analysis is based on the assumption (утверждении) that difference in meaning of linguistic units is indicated by difference in environment (окружение).

Amosova suggests the following definition of a context: CONTEXT is a combination of an indicator (индикатор) and the dependant. The dependant is the word whose meaning is to be rendered in a given utterance.

According to Arnold there are the following types of context:

1. The lexical context (the indicating power belongs to different lexemes)
e.g. black - denotes colour when used with material or things, it denotes a feeling which is sad/gloomy (унылый) when used with the nouns denoting emotions or thoughts.

black - dependant dress - indicator

2. Syntactical context (the indicating power belongs to the syntactic pattern (модель) which is made of words)

e.g. make(v) - means to cause (заставить) when followed by a complex object

3. Mixed context

e.g. late(adj) - when used attributively with words denoting periods of time means towards the end of the period – late (позднее, не опоздавшее) summer

The definition of context pre-supposes (предполагает) some other classifications. Eugene Nida distinguishes linguistic and practical contexts by the latter he means the circumstances of communication that is

the motive (мотив),

the participants (участники),

the relations between them,

the situation.

 

Kolshansky point out to a broader context and the narrower(более широкий и более узкий контексты).

The context is a set (набор) of circumstances (обстоятельств) and conditions(условий) accompanying (сопровождающих) word usage (словоупотребление).

The peculiarity(особенность) of the stylistic context is that functions to enrich (обогатить) the semantic structure of words, to add to their meanings, so it is contrary (противоречит) to the functions of lexical and syntactical contexts.

(Например, говоря о погоде, можно сказать что она была плохая, употребив предложение “The weather was ‘fine’”.)

 

The Notion of the Norm.

Most scholars define style as deviation (отклонение) from lingual norm. The notion of norm presupposes a recognized standard, that is the given national language - the literary norm. But other scholars (Skrebnev) claims (заявляет) that there are as many norms as there are sub-languages within the national language (в каждом подъязыке).

In terms of stylistics it would be more appropriate (было бы более уместно) to use the notion of neutrality (нейтральность) for denoting the norm. The units belonging to all sub-languages are stylistically neutral (стилистически нейтральны). So, we observe stylistically colored and stylistically neutral words.

The Notion of Foreground (выдвижение).

The notion was put forward (было предложено) by Czech (чешским) linguists. It is the ability of a verbal element to obtain extra significance to say more in a definite context. A contextually foregrounded element carries (несёт) more information than when taken an isolation. In context it is loaded (нагружен) with same basic information – inherent (внутреннеприсущая) plus additional adherent (дополнительная). Stylistic analysis involves (подразумевает) procedures (процедуру) of finding foregrounded element and indicating the chemistry (взаимосвязи) of its contextual changes.

The Major Types of Foreground

Convergence (схождение)

That is concentration in one place of a text a cluster of stylistic devices & expressive means performing one and the same function. A stylistic device (приём) is not attached (не привязан) to this or that (к какому-то одному) stylistic effect. The quality of a device enables (заставляет) the author to use different devices for the same purpose. This redundancy (избыточность, концентрация) encores (обеспечивает) the delivery of the authors idea.

e.g. When he blinks a parrot-like look appears, the look of some heavily blinking tropical bird. (Здесь употреблено три приёма: сравнение parrot-like, повтор like и эпитеты heavily blinking tropical.)

Coupling (сцепление)

it is the recurrence (встречаемость, повторяемость) of the similar elements of the text in similar positions which provides a unity of a poetic structure, for example, in verses that is rhyme (рифма), rhythm (ритм)& parallel constructions.