Лекция № 1.

1. Subject matter of stylistics

2. Functions of the language

3. Stylistic differentiation of the English vocabulary

4. Special literary vocabulary

Stylistics is the branch of linguistics which studies the principles and the effect of the choice of various linguistic means used to convey a thought or an emotion under various conditions of communication.

Stylistic research is based on level-forming branches:

• Stylistic phonetics

• Stylistic morphology

• Stylistic lexicology/semasiology (interrelation of connotative and denotative meaning)

• Stylistic syntax (the word order)

the problem of study of expressive means and stylistic devices on all language levels

The basic areas of research

• Expressive resources of the language

• Stylistic differentiation of vocabulary

• Varieties of the national language

• Socio-linguistic and pragmatic factors that determine functional styles

Stylistics focuses on all units of language which are studied by traditional branches of linguistics – phonetics, lexicology, syntax, etc. Stylistics does not describe separate linguistic units as such. Stylistics studies the stylistic function. It is interested in the expressive potential of these units in their interaction as well as in the structure and composition of the whole text.

According to Skrebnev, the opposition of paradigmatics to syntagmatics can be applied to stylistics.

Paradigmatics vs Syntagmatics

Paradigmatics – the totality of units existing in the language. These units taken together make a paradigm (a set of forms, structures).

Paradigmatic stylistics presupposes the choice of one particular unit over the other (in metaphor/metonymy).

• use of the word ‘guy’ instead of ‘man’

• ain’t instead of have not, am/is/are

• ‘John here?’ instead of “Is John here?”

The concept of choice - The problem of synonymy

1. Phonetic

2. Morphological

3. Lexical

4. Syntactical

5. One and the same idea can be expressed in the variety of ways.

Syntagmatics is a certain number of sequences of units, of chains of units following one another and forming combinations with one another. Syntagmatic stylistics is focused on the interrelation of language units.

I ask you, I pray, I beseech you! (graduation)

The problem of the structure of the norm

Any national language uses the notion of ‘correct language’ which involves conformity to the grammatical, lexical and phonetic standards which are accepted as normative

• Literary norm is not homogenous (varies due to regional, social, personal and other factors)

• We use different norms – literary, dialectal, popular, etc.

• There is the notion of the norm variation:

  • National norm – dialect

  • Neutral – colloquial – bookish style

  • Literary correct speech – common colloquial

• The structure of the norm may not correspond to the structure of the language

Ex.: How are we feeling today?

Subsystems of the language which represent varieties of the language in this or that type of communicative interaction are functional styles.

Functional style (registers of speech) is a subsystem of the language which represents the variety of this language in different types of communicative interactions.

The problem of the definition of style

Galperin: Style is a system of interrelated language means which serves a definite aim in communication.

Skrebnev: Style is a set of specific features of a text type or of a particular text. It differentiates a group of homogenous texts from all others.

All these definition show functionally determined character of the notion style.

Style is any specific way of using language to say things which is characteristic of some author, historical period, or literary genre.