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Linguistics & Polyglot Studies

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Vol 7, No 3 (2021)
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LINGUISTICS AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

5-15 662
Abstract

Ths article is aimed at identifying and comparing the syntactic models of expressive exclamation constructions in the headlines of the online versions of high-quality printed publications: the Vedomosti and the Izvestia (in Russian), the Khypar (in Chuvash), Th Times and Th Guardian (in English). Th research material is online newspaper headlines published in the period from 2017 to 2021. Th relevance of the work is explained by the fact that in the mass consumption of information on the Internet the title has the greatest potential for speech impact on the mass audience, realized by means of expressive syntax and punctuation. Th expressive exclamation structure of the online newspaper headline enhances its expressiveness, translates the author’s intentions, conveys the author’s emotions, forms opinions and encourages readers to act, etc. Depending on the type of speech inflence, the patterns of syntactic design of heading syntactic design in Russian, Chuvash and English are analyzed on the basis of speech influence (social, volitional, informational, explanatory, or emotional-evaluative). For instance, Russian headings of requests, orders and slogans are formed as an elliptical non-verbal construction, a sentence with a verb in the imperative mood and an appeal to a certain person, as well as a construction consisting of homogeneous predicates in the imperative mood. Chuvash headlines of requests, demands and slogans, and the titles that convey various emotions are represented by an exclamation construction with a verb in the imperative mood and a direct address, with a verb in the imperative mood and a negative particle, an indefiite personal sentence, elliptical and parcelled constructions. Expressive exclamation headings in English are based on two-part and segmented syntactic structures. Thse strategies for the design of expressive exclamation constructions in online newspaper headlines reflct the development of syntactic systems of the languages with diffrent structures and make a certain contribution to the development of theoretical foundations of comparative media stylistics.

16-23 586
Abstract

Th paper focuses on the euphemisms “terminological inexactitude”, “to be economical with the truth” and “alternative facts” in English political discourse of the post-truth era. Ths period is characterised by certain linguistic means, and euphemisation plays an important role here. It is shown that in the post-truth era, where borders between truth and lies are blurred, these euphemisms synonymous with the nouns “lie” are of particular relevance in political communication. Th euphemism “terminological inexactitude” still serves as a metaphor of lying originally determined by speech etiquette and historical traditions, which is the case, for example, during the debates in the British parliament, where there is an offial list of taboo words and expressions referred to as unparliamentary language. However, the other two euphemisms partly change their functionality. In the post-truth world, the expressions “economical with the truth” and “alternative facts” are used by the speaker to deliberately distort reality and conceal the truth rather than to follow the rules of politically correct speech.

24-33 561
Abstract

Th article describes the specifis, principles and methods of synergetics as a promising area of modern research. Synergetics is presented by the author as a holistic integral paradigm used in many sciences which confims its interdisciplinary and even universal nature. Th object of this paradigm is the interaction of complex systems, and since the mere concept ‘system’ is widely used in many scientifi filds, the relevance of synergetics is beyond doubt. Th author describes the main characteristics of the structure and functioning of a system. Th key concepts of synergetics and their explanation are also given. Further, the article discusses the branches of linguistics which use principles of synergetics – linguosynergetics and functional linguosynergetics as its variety. Since the study of text and discourse and their parameters as complex systems is of particular interest to many linguists, linguosynergetics has become one of the demanded scientifi paradigms in this area of research. Th author points out the objectives and tasks of linguistic synergetics, and functional linguosynergetics in particular, their basic concepts, principles and methods. Attention is also paid to the functioning of linguistic means, as well as the formation and interpretation of meaning depending on certain discursive space. Th author comes to the conclusion that thanks to synergetics language can be studied from specifi angles, and the application of its principles greatly contributes to the theory of the evolution of language. Linguosynergetics provides ample opportunities for describing language/text/discourse as a complex dynamic open system, and functional linguosynergetics, in turn, helps describe the features of its functioning and evolution.

34-42 410
Abstract

Te article deals with the sentences that contain pragmatic marker I pray you / thee and its variants as a parenthetical clause. Te linguistic material for synchronic analysis is taken from the texts of the plays written by the English authors during the 16−17th centuries. Te examination of the lexicalgrammatical and stylistic characteristics of the structures under analysis shows that the greatest variety of the marker forms is achieved at the beginning of the period under consideration. Te following processes are seen to be the sources of the diversity: the increase of expression by means of an adverb (now, still, hartyly) or a modal verb, the change of the pronunciation of the constituent words followed by modifcations of their representation in the text (comes into I prythee with variants prithee, pr’ythee), the elimination of subject and / or object (resulting in the forms pray, pray you, I pray). Towards the end of the period under consideration, in the second half of the 17th century, the diversity of the variants of the marker decreases, predominantly the following structures continue to exist: I pray, pray and I prythee. Te parenthetical clause is studied in diachrony as well. Te forms of the marker constituents, the peculiarities of the marker word order, the position of the clause in the sentences, the combination with other pragmatic markers are compared with the sentences from the texts of the 14−15th centuries.

43-52 449
Abstract

In the Russian language the preposition “cherez (through)” is used in its typical contexts to refer to spatial characteristics in which an action or movement takes place. However, there are cases in the Persian language when there is no clear boundary among the spatial prepositions corresponding to the preposition “cherez (through)”, which causes difculty for Iranian learners to choose the correct one. At the same time one and the same Persian preposition can be expressed by different Russian prepositions which lead to regular mistakes in the speech of Iranian students. Tus, for instance, Iranian students use the preposition “az miyan-e” / (among) in the meaning of the Russian prepositions “cherez” (through), “mezhdu”, “ckvoz” (within) and “iz” (from), although these prepositions are different in meaning and function. In this article, the locations used in combination with the preposition “through” are systematically classifed to explain their specifc features. In addition, the ways of expressing the spatial meanings of the preposition “through” in the Persian language are addressed in order to raise Iranian learners’ awareness of possible mistakes. Te novelty of the article is in the attempt to compare semantic and spatial features of the Russian preposition “cherez (through)” with its correlates in the Persian language. Te fndings of this study can be of interest to RFL teachers, in particular in Iran, as they will highlight common mistakes in the speech of Iranian learners when using the preposition “through”, and to RFL textbook developers.

LITERATURE AND LINGUOCULTURAL STUDIES

53-64 885
Abstract

Arab-American multicultural, or cross-cultural, literature related to different time periods is closely examined in the article. Tese writings are part of borderline literature due to the fact that the central theme in them is the theme of dual (transitional) identity. Te author provides a defnition of “liminality”, which is necessary when considering the phenomena of bilingualism and biculturalism. Te relevance of the study is due to the growing interest in emigrant literature as a source of meanings scattered in the text, contributing to the understanding of the social and cultural context. Te motive, image and the concept are singled out in the works of Arab-American literature to decode hidden meanings. Te results of the analysis of the main motives, taken in diachrony, are presented, and their similarities and differences are revealed. Te fact that the same motives, for example, the motives of nature and music, are found in completely different works, speaks of their semantic, cultural and literary signifcance. Te novelty of the research is seen in the combination of linguo-literary and linguo-stylistic methods in the analysis of linguistic material, which helps to identify psychological, cultural and social aspects in the Arab-American fction discourse.

65-74 473
Abstract

Tere is a centuries-old tradition of writing monument poems, while their content and form changed under the influence of the artistic context of different literary eras and due to differences in the authors’ conceptual pictures of the world. Tis type of poetic texts is the object of research by Russian and foreign scholars, but the approach to the analysis of “monuments” is rather one-sided: they are studied from the point of view of preserving and developing genre traditions. Te article offers a new look into this phenomenon − the fractal principle of the monument poems organization. Te relevance of the problem is beyond doubt, since synergetic research makes it possible to illuminate in a new way the stages of a literary text formation due to the inclusion of various monument poems in the intertext of Russian literature. Poems-”monuments” with a fractal organization, act as a nonlinear synergistic self-organizing system. Self-similarity is the main property of fractals, causing fractal changes, which repeat themselves on different scales and take different confgurations. Using the methods of linguistic observation, conceptual analysis and the descriptive method, the author comes to the following conclusions: in classical texts a monument poem acts as a semantic fractal, since the texts practically do not change structurally and contain all markers of the conceptual fractal. Non-classical texts are represented as a structural fractal, because they preserve only general formal features of a conceptual fractal, its content is subject to transformation by the poet’s artistic intention, specifc historical time and other factors.

75-85 406
Abstract

Te research aims at analyzing the lexical aspect of foreign criticism of Russia at an early stage of establishing international relations. Te article focuses on the role of pejorative lexis and phraseology used by an English diplomat Giles Fletcher to expose to criticism Russian social, cultural and common realia in his treatise On the Russe Common Wealth written in 1591. Te research fnds out the main objects and grounds of the country’s negative evaluativity dispensed by the author, puts to analysis diverse lexical means with inherent negative evaluation, reveals their functions in the text. Criticism is underpinned by the author’s intention against the historical background of the deteriorating Anglo-Russian relations caused by the competing interests of the two nations. Te part that effects evaluation is the late 16th century English society represented by Giles Fletcher, a public ofcer and politician. Specifc objects of his criticism are persons and groups (monarchs, nobility, peasantry, clergy, etc.), national character of the Russian people, and social institutions (administration, political regime, law and judicial system, fnanceand economy, the Orthodox church, etc.). Criticism of Russian realia in the treatise is mainly manifest on the lexical level by virtue of the extensive use of pejorative substantives and metaphoric idioms. As to the function, negative evaluativity on the lexical level expresses the author’s emotions and presents the characteristics of persons and ethnospecifc phenomena.

86-96 951
Abstract

Te article provides a comprehensive culture-through-language analysis of the poetical cycle “Mexican Divertimento” by Joseph Brodsky. It describes the basic principles of its poems’ construction, their stylistic features, interconnections between them, as well as with further elements of the poet’s creative heritage and other authors’ works. Te author of the article analyzes the place and role of the IberoAmerican theme in Brodsky’s poetry, which has not previously been reflected in experts’ works. Brodsky’s reception of Mexican culture and history episodes from different periods demonstrates his deep knowledge of these issues, which before the trip to Mexico could hardly have been familiar to him. At the same time, the author of the article outlines a number of inaccuracies and errors in history, toponymy, onomastics and other areas, wondering about their intentional or accidental character. Based on the results of the analysis, the article concludes that the cycle under study, while remaining self-sufcient and self-valuable in form and content, organically fts into Brodsky’s stylistic and ideological paradigm of the 1970s-1980s. At the same time, the analyzed text not only has a high artistic value, but also in linguo-cultural terms reflects the peculiarities of Mexican culture, its history, as well as Russian-Mexican cultural ties.

97-105 569
Abstract

In the focus of the article are different views of French media representatives on the appropriateness of the Council for Deontology and Mediation, founded in France in December 2019. Te Council positions itself as an independent structure that carries out the functions of self-regulation (within the profession), and co-regulation (between journalists and audience) in the feld of mass media based on French and international codes of journalism ethics. Te Council considers mass media audience complaints about journalists’ violation of professional ethics and acts as an intermediary in resolving information disputes between journalists, publishers and the audience.
Te main goal of the Council on Deontology and Mediation is to restore the audience’s trust in mass media and create a culture of honest journalism. However, its establishment and activities provoked a ferce debate in the French journalism community, splitting it into two camps. Te opponents, who happened to be in the majority, do not recognize the legitimacy of the Council and refuse to work with it.
In this respect, the article examines the following issues: a brief history of French and international codes of journalism ethics; the reasons of the crisis of trust to traditional media; the political context in which the Council for Deontology and Mediation emerged; the Council’s structure and functions; arguments put for and against its activities; analysis of two cases that illustrate its activities.
Te article is based on materials taken from traditional French media: Le Monde, Le Figaro, Libération, Les Échos, L’Express, La Croix; online media: Médiapart and Contexte, as well as TV interviews with media representatives.

106-114 419
Abstract

National varieties of Spanish have been studied successfully since the second half of the XX-th century. Te object of this research is the Andean varieties of Spanish, which we intend to study from a psycholinguocultural perspective, which is a novel approach, developed by a number of Russian linguists.

Te research is aimed at analyzing some linguistic characteristics of the natural bilinguals of the Andean world and answering the questions, if there is a connection between language and ethnicity and if an ethnic group can have two or more linguistic identities. Between language and ethnicity there is a close and direct interdependence. However similar the language spoken by different ethnic groups living in the same territory may seem, it is only on the surface, as the language is determined by psycho- and linguocultural factors. A monolingual ethnic group does not usually have more than one linguistic identity, but in diglossia situations, a person who acts as two (or more) speaking subjects, using one or more languages depending on the circumstances, brings together two (or more) linguistic personalities.

115-120 337
Abstract

Political communication becomes particularly intense in the pre-election period. Democracy  receives criticism aimed to protect the interests of citizens. It is political parties that are responsible for a constructive discussion of their positions and motivating citizens to participate in the election campaign. Te electoral language is usually an emotional, connotative language, which resonates with citizens. Political electoral discourse is characterized by certain basic concepts, such as “politics”, “election”, “electoral programs”, “electorate”, “people”, “power” and others. “People” and “power” are the key ones, since they reflect the features of political process and are inextricably linked to each other during all electoral period. Tis article focuses on the study of the people / power opposition in the Russian and Spanish electoral discourse and identifes conceptual structures and signs of these concepts.

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ISSN 2410-2423 (Print)
ISSN 2782-3717 (Online)