30. Morphological stylistic means. Noun and pronoun.

MORPHOLOGY is a branch of linguistics that studies the form and structure of words, the rules of word formation; as well as parts of speech, their categories and forms. Morphological stylistics primarily investigates the cases of transposition. Transposition can be defined as a of the typical grammatical valency of a word that consists in the unusual use of the grammatical forms and categories of parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs) changing their grammatical meaning. Moreover, frequently transposition leads to the change in the semantic meaning of a word too. Some scholars (e.g. Prof. E.I. Shendels) use the term grammatical metaphor instead. It happens due to the belief that, like in a lexical metaphor, the same mechanism of the transfer of meanings (that gives birth to new connotations) works in the formation of a grammatical metaphor. The distinction is that a lexical metaphor is based on the transfer (interplay) of lexical meanings, while a grammatical metaphor – on a transposition (transfer) of a grammatical form from one type of grammatical relation to another. Besides, in both the cases the redistribution of meanings correlates with extra linguistic reality. In lexicology transposition is often associated with conversion (a pass from one part of speech into another) or the formation of the occasional words (coinages) / nonce words.

The noun The expressive potential of the English noun reveals itself in a deviant use (= transposition) of its 3 categories–case,number and definiteness/indefiniteness.

Transposition is observed when inanimate nouns are used in the genitive (possessive) case (instead of expressing the idea of possession with the help of the traditional ‘of-phrase’). So it often happens with nouns denoting time or in cases of personification, due to which the utterance sounds more elevated.E.g. Yesterday’s press. group-genitive produces a humorous effect as the words that are placed together are logically incompatible.

Proper names, abstract and material nouns are uncountables. Their use in the plural imparts some special expressive and emotional power, creates the effect of imagery, adds vividness and makes the description more concrete.E.g. The snows of Kilimanjaro. (Hemingway)

Proper names used in the plural lend the narration a unique generalizing effect, or show the derogatory attitude of the speaker, or strengthen smb’s insignificance.E.g. several Goyas;

The use of the singular instead of an appropriate plural form creates a generalized, elevated effect often bordering on symbolization. The contrary device – the use of plural instead of singular – as a rule, makes the description more powerful and large-scale.E.g. The clamour of waters, snows, winds, rains ...

Besides, the plural nouns may imply the singular and vice versa. The varieties of such transfer (whole – part, part – whole) are cases of grammatical synecdoche. E.g. How dare he talk like that to ladies ? ( = one lady)This is what the student is supposed to know. ( =all the students)

The pronoun as a factor of style

Transposition of the pronoun is connected with the change of the sphere of its use. Of special interest for stylistics are personal, indefinite, possessive and demonstrative pronouns. Employed by the author as a means of characterization the overuse of the personal pronoun I testifies to the speaker's complacency and egomania, while you, we or indefinite one used in reference to oneself instead of I characterize the speaker as a reserved and self-controlled person. In general, the use of the personal pronouns you, we, they and indefinite one may have the following connotations: that of identification of the speaker and the audience, and generalization (contrary to the individual meaning) that attributes a philosophical and abstract sounding to the utterance. We may as well state that in case of generalization pronouns have no definite reference, due to what the reader is included in the situation. In familiar colloquial style the same function of abstraction and generalization may be fulfilled by the nouns a man, a chap, a fellow, a baby, a body, a thing.

Personal pronouns we, you, they can be employed in the meaning different from their dictionary meaning. The pronoun we that usually means ‘speaking together or on behalf of other people’ or ‘the speaker plus another person or other persons’ can also be used with reference to a single person, the speaker. It is relevant in Royal speech, decrees of the King, etc., and is termed the plural of majesty .The plural of modesty, or the author's we (the so-called 'we-of-modesty', or Pluralis Modestiae), is used with reference to a single person with the purpose to identify oneself with the group, or audience, or society at large, and to avoid extreme subjectivity. So it happens in the scientific prose style...

Often they has a purely expressive function because it does not substitute any real characters but indicates some abstract entity.

Archaic forms of the pronouns ye (you) and the form of the second pronoun singular thou (thee – objective case, possessive thy and its absolute form thine, reflective – thyself) are the indicators of the dialectal speech, of the official language (of a lawyer), of poetic and religious styles.

Here the use of he/his, she/her that substitute it/its is subjectively dependent and has nothing to do with the gender of nouns. The opposite use – of it instead of he or she – refers living beings to the class of inanimate objects. Such depersonification adds humorous, ironical or affectionate colouring to the utterance.

Frequently, the demonstrative pronouns do not point at anything or single out objects out of their class but signal the excitement of the speaker.E.g. These lawyers!

Of particular expressive and emotional force is the combination of a demonstrative pronoun with a possessive pronoun (in its absolute form) in postposition. E.g. ‘This girl of mine