Nomination of processes and actions in the system of nouns and adjectives in Ancient Greek Текст научной статьи по специальности «Языкознание и литературоведение»

Austrian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 5-6 (2017)^^^ Linguistics

< IASTTWEST > ^

ISSN 2310-5593 (Print) / ISSN 2519-1209 (Online)

UDC 811.14'02'37 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20534/AJH-17-5.6-40-45

Y. S. Chekareva 1

1 V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine

NOMINATION OF PROCESSES AND ACTIONS IN THE SYSTEM OF NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES IN ANCIENT GREEK

Abstract

Objective: to study the processual vocabulary of Ancient Greek through identifying of peculiarities of its representation in lexico-gramatical classes of different types, analysis of principles of classification according to semantic characteristics, identifying of anthropocentric peculiarities of its forming.

Methods: comparison, generalization, observation, systemic analysis, data grouping, theoretical cognition, the method of analogy, component analysis.

Results: basing on new theoretical regulations of cognitive-discourse tendency of study in linguistics, applying the effective and informative method of component analysis of lexemes the processual vocabulary of Ancient Greek was studied. The central part of the work is taken by nominative vocabulary (nouns, adj ectives) that along with verbs takes an active part in nomination of different types of processes in space and time aspects of their realisation. The factors of forming of lexemes of such type are analyzed. Psychobiological nature of a person is identified as a key principle. The connection between specific characteristics of the model of world typical to archaic way of thinking and their fixation in lexico-semantic system of Ancient Greek is determined.

Scientific novelty: for the first time on the basis of Ancient Greek the processual vocabulary was studied.

Practical significance: the main provisions and conclusions of the article can be used in scientific and teaching activities in Classical Philology, General Linguistics, typological studies of Indo-European languages.

Keywords: processual vocabulary; noun; adjective; space relationships; temporal relationships; lexico-semantic groups.

Introduction

A high status of the processual vocabulary in the language and peculiar attention of linguists to its studying is explained by its fixation of information about changes in the space and time that is important for a person. In this context it is noted by L. V. Varpakhovich that the situation of common cognition is first of all sensitive, perceptive realization of the object that is interpreted as a part of the process. A person takes a world that is constantly moving, that has no absolute statistics. That is why processual semantics objectivised in the body of the particular language meanings has a status of fundamental and system-forming part of cognition. Psychobiological principles of cognition support this statement as fundamental information that is a base for forming of more difficult knowledge is got through sensory and motor experiences that are connected with

the process of movement, changes of position and state [1, 57-59].

Actuality of the research of processual vocabulary of Ancient Greek depends on the one hand on exclusive importance of this group ofwords, and from the other hand on lack of deep research in lexical semantics of classical languages that would give a possibility to clear principles of comprehension of the environment by Hellenes and the specifics of such cognition of particular language signs.

Investigation

Due to new theoretical regulations of cognitive-discourse tendency of study in linguistics while describing each language phenomenon two functions should be taking into account that are necessarily realized by two language elements: cognitive (due to participation in the process of cognition) and communicative-discoursing

Linguistics

< >;Ar;WEST >

saBJCEUMTis

ISSN 2310-5593 (Print) / ISSN 2519-1209 (Online)

Austrian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 5-6 (2017)

(due to participation in verbal communication acts) [2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8]. According to this a new explanation of such structural element of language as word was formed.

Cognitive approach allows to state that a word is a cardinal unite of language picture of the world, our inner vocabulary, and the connection of language picture of the world with the concept one is realized precisely through the word [9; 10; 11; 12; 13]. As Ch. Fillmore noted, «number of words that we use are similar to names of things and have such meanings, that are really cannot be mentioned without indication of knowledge about this things» [14, 89]. Generally speaking, «wording» of the world leads to more distinct ordering and stopping of thoughts in human consciousness. None-verbalized knowledge is distinct and not clear ideas and only having got language body of the sign becomes handy operative unites of cognitive processes. Due to N. V. Bardina "denotations as special object forms of the language replace in mental and discursive activity the most complex fragments of our thoughts about the world and conclusions of its comprehension" [15, 53].

Semantic component of the word, its meaning that makes «encyclopaedia information» throw open to human memory attracts attention of linguists at all the stages of linguistics thought development. One of the problematic questions is still the specifics of denoting to the word-representatives of different lexico-grammatical classes (parts of speech) particular conceptual structures that are oriented to different fragments of reality that is comprehended and verbalized by a person.

The main problem for contemporary researches of parts of the speech is which word's fragments and onto-logical matters are marked by them, which noetic spaces are covered by the words of different parts of speech. An important part is given to nominative activity of a person, anthropocentric nature of such activity and language-cognitive peculiarities. The representatives of onomasiological approach tried to explain the reasons of lexical knowledge variety that are due to certain common categories, found out the capacity and essence of knowledge about an object in a respective nominations, the possibility to unite groups of concept in the limits of one word [16; 17; 18]. Cognitive school gave these questions more depth and accuracy by connecting the answers with the experience gained by a person, men-

tal vocabulary and memory structures, different structures of knowledge and their existence in human conciseness, principles of word's perception [9, 140-141].

Such peculiarity of realisation of conceptual systems in language when the same meaning can be represented in the language by alternative means is important in this aspect [19, 313].

Alternative as necessity of choice between possibilities exists in social environment and is a workable norm of consciousness that is a feature of human existence. Covering all the spheres of every-day life it gets expression by unites of language of different levels [6, 377]. More difficult and meaningful for human process of thinking concepts are expressed by more difficult system of language means and forms, the variety of which is built, in particular, in the process of analogy, and on its base on metaphor. Moreover, according to G. Lakoff metaphors do not ruin, but develop the categories correspondently to which they act [20, 32].

Processual vocabulary that objects important for a human aspects of changes of objects in the space and time is represented in Ancient Greek by different parts of speech. Time changes are realized first of all by tense-aspect forms of verb. The peculiarities of changes in the space particularly marking of different kinds of movement is also verbalized by verb lexemes with specification of character of movement due to uniting the semantics of verb prefixes with preposition-case forms.

Signing the process of different kind and longevity is also possible by usage of nominative vocabulary — nouns and adjectives.

In Ancient Greek in functional-semantic field of space the meaning of processuality is realized in the groups of nouns that names objects (positive, negative, neutral dynamics — 791 lexemes as a whole):

1) positive dynamics (283 lexemes): aywy^, ^ brining, deliverying; ^ol^, ^ throwing, throw; do^ol^, ^ intrusion, invasion; eioeXaoig, ^ onslaught, (tactical) attack; ei'onloog, o (about ships) landing; ^ coming, arriving; l^ig, ^ prehensile movement, seizing; napaSuoig, ^ entry, ingress, penetrateing, penetration; nepiBeoig, ^ throwing; npooSog, ^ movement ahead, advancement; npooava^aoig, ^ ascent, rising, assault, storm; npoo^wpnoig, ^ approaching, drawing near, com-

Austrian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 5-6 (2017)

< IASTTWEST > ISSN 2310-5593 (Print) / ISSN 2519-1209 (Online)

Linguistics

ing; au^.oy^, ^ gathering invasion, incursion, inroad; auve^ia^o?, o approach, closing in, converging etc.

^ Se eia^oX^ ^v oSo? a^a^iTo? op9i aiaxupw? xal a^xavov eiaeXBelv arpareu^aTi (Xen. Anab. 1.2.21) — thoroughfare entrance was exactly at right angle, so, obviously, the army managed to enter; eXwv oiv ano t^? Niaaia? npwTov Suo nupyw npou^ovTe ^nxavat? ¿k BaXaaan? Kal tov eanXouv e? to ^eTa^u t^? v^aou eXeuBepwaa? aneTeixiZe Kal to ¿kt^? ^neipou, ^ KaTa ye9upav Sia Tevayou? ¿ni^o^Beia ^v t^ v^aw ou noXu Sie^oua^ t^? ^neipou (Thuc. Hist. 3.51.3) — taking over two prominent guard towers at the island in front of Ni-saea by using vehicles from the sea, he made the way to the bay between the islands and the continent, strengthened the area nearest to the continent by the wall, where by using the bridge they can help the island;

2) negative dynamics (258 lexemes):

avaSoai?, ^ detachment, coming out; ana^ay^, ^ separation, parting; ano^aai?, ^ landing, debarkation, disembarkation, putting ashore, descent; anoSoai?, ^ returning, return, coming back Siaipeai?, ^ separation; Siappi^i?, ^ scattering; ¿KSn^ia, ^ ban, ejection, exile, expulsion, proscription, relegation; eKSuai?, ^ exit; ¿KTpon^, ^ leading away, taking aside, withdrawal, KaTd^aai?, ^ descent; unoTpon^, ^ retreat, withdrawal, retirement, falling back, Bigxig 9uy^, ^ escape, getaway;; x^pioyo?, o separation, po3giA, departure; leaving, setting off etc.

Sia yap to aTev^v elvai T^v oSov oXnv T^v ^epav ^ ava^aai? auTol? eyeveTo Kal KaTd^aai? (Xen. Anab. 4.1.10) — ascent and descent took the whole day; ano yap tou opeo? ^ xaTa^aai? auvTo^toTepn Te eaTi xal Ppa^uTepo? ^nep ^ nepioSo? Te xal ava^aai? (Hdt. Hist. 7.223.1) — as descent is faster and shorter than roundabout way or ascent (Thuc. Hist. 2.81.6) — the other barbarians saw them and ran away without waiting;

3) neutral dynamics (250 lexemes):

aywv, o fight, competition; aiwpa, ^ rocking; swinging; aKoXouBia, ^ escorting, convoy; dXn, ^ wandering, roaming, roving, travelling; aXonTo?, o threshing; avTia^Kwai?, ^ balancing; |3dai?, ^ movement. Move., walking; SiaSpo^, ^ fuss, bustle; clutter; flurry; turmoil, ado, huddle; rumpus; Spo^o?, o 6ir; ^Xuai?, ^ walking, move, movement; Kivnai?, ^ move, movement; KuXiai?, ^ circuit, gyre; oSo?, ^ move, movement, trip, travelling;

opxn^a, to dance; nXavn, ^ wandering, roaming, roving, travelling; xopo?, o chorus, round dance 3i cniBOM etc.

tov Se aywva ouk ev tw KoXnw eK«v elvai noi^ao^ai ouS' eanXeuao^ai e? auTov (Thuc. Hist. 2.89.8) — as much as it depends on me I will not give a fight in the bay and will not go there; a^' eveK' ouXo^evn? yaaTpo? KaKa K^Se' exouaiv avepe?, ovtiv' knTai dXn (Hom. Od. 15.343-344) — people suffer from hunger when they have to travel; ol S' aiel ¿BeXouai veonXuTa ei'^aT' exovTe? e? xopov epxeaBai (Hom. Od. 6.64-65) — they want to go to our round dances in clean, washed dresses.

Functional-semantic field of time contains a big group of nouns with the meaning of long processes and actions, one- or multi-act actions (total number is 3054 lexemes):

1) long processes (1714 lexemes): ayKiorpeuTiKov, to fishing; dKeox?, ^ healing, recovery, curing, dXei^i?, ^ rubbing the oil into the skin; SoXi^o?, o a long distance race; Spo^o?, o running, forsed march, forced march, running contest; epyov, to business, affair, work; laTopia, ^ study, research; e^oSo?, ^ solemn procession, aywy^, ^ leading, running, movement, move; shift dBpoiai?, ^ meet, meeting, gathering; aXnTeia, ^ travelling wandering, roaming, roving, ^aSiai?, ^ walking, walk, gait, step, tread; ^XaaTnai?, ^ growing, growing up; Siw^i?, ^ pursuit, chase; e^nopia, ^ the trip with the commerce aims, trading; Z^Tnai?, ^ searching, search; nXuai?, ^ washing, laundering etc.:

Xpovo? eaTlv ev ^ Kaipo?, Kal Kaipo? ev ^ xpovo? ou noXu?: dKeai? xpovw, eaTi Se ^viKa Kal Kaipw (Hp. Praec. 1) — there is a proper moment in time, and in a proper moment there is a short period of time; healing can be gained through the time, but sometimes through proper time.; a^' OTe S^ nu^aTov TeXeov Spo^ov WKee? 'innoi ¿9' aXo? noXi^?, TOTe S^ apeT^ ye ¿KdaTou9aiveT', &9ap S' innoiai TdBn Spo^o? (Hom. Il. 23.373-375) — but when the horses had already returned to the last boundary at the gray seaside, courage arose in everybody, and hoses started running faster; oXiyfl Te xpeovTai ^aSiaei KaTa T^v noXiv Kal to e^nopiov, a^a ^ovo^uXoi? SianXeouaiv dvw Kal KdTw: Siwpuye? yap no^ai eiai (Hp. De aer. 15) — they rarely go to cities and markets, but go up and down in the boats made from one tree, as there are a lot of channels there;

Linguistics

< >;Ar;WEST >

saBJCEUMTis

ISSN 2310-5593 (Print) / ISSN 2519-1209 (Online)

Austrian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 5-6 (2017)

2) one-act actions (1179 lexemes):

Kpatog, to winning, victory; avanvo^, ^ inhale, breath; eneKnloog, o battle fleet operation, see attack; npoooSog, ^ attack, invasion, conquest; aipeoig, ^ conquest, gaining; dXya, to a hop; a^, ^ a touch; ^ya, to a step; S^ig, ^ a bite, a prick; KovSulog, o punch; kotc^, ^ stroke, collision, la^, ^ invasion, obtaining; yaotiyya, to lash; panioya, to stroke, slap; pin^, ^ throw; oKiptnya, to hop; oxioyog, o break-off,; KataXuoig, ^ dissolution, stopping ceasing; yetan^Snoig, ^ jumpung, hop; ouppayya, to collission etc.:

^ Se ^aoileog aipeoig eg t^v uotepnv t^v MapSoviou eniotpatninv SeKdynvog eyeveto (Hdt. Hist. 9.3.2) — the first conquest of the city by the tsar had happened two months before Mardonius' invasion. ooon S' aiyave^g pin^ Tavaolo tetuKtai, ^v pa t' av^p a9e^ neipwyevog ^ ev aeBXw^e Kal ev nole^w Sn'iwv uno Buyopa'iotetov, toooov e^wpnoav Tpweg (Hom. Il. 16.589-591) — Trojans passed as far as the throw of a long dart when a man let it out to see his strength during the competitions or during the battle with the enemy-blighter; ev toutw tw Xpovw iovtag wg a^Xoug TCpeo^eig Kal K^puKag noieloBai toug loyoug, KaB' oti eotai r\ KatdXuoig tou noleyou (Thuc. Hist. 4.118.13) — at the time of armistice each part should send its ambassadors and messenger with the propositions about cessation of hostilities;

3) multi-acts actions (161 lexemes):

de^.a, ^ fast twisting, turning round, whirling; aiwp^oig, ^ rocking; swing (ing); ayapuy^, ^ winking, blinking, flicker, glimmer, gleaming, twinkling; Sovnya, to heaving, waving, rocking, swinging, tossing, shaking; Sopatioyog, o spear throwing from the both side, shooting (fire, firing) from the both side, shooting; eipeoia, ^ rowing, canoeing, paddle, paddling, measured movement; Kevt^oig, ^ pricking, tingling; Kv^oya, to scratching; Kovioig, ^ sprinkling of sand over the body; Konetog, o beating onself into the chest, lamentation; KuXioig, ^ turning round, whirling; netpwya, to beating with stones; pa^Swoig, ^ laying of channels; pintaoyog, o nervous moves, fuss, bustle; clutter; flurry; turmoil, ado, huddle; rumpus; uSpeia, ^ water drawing up; ■fnlainoig, ^ palpation; touching etc.:

SoKe! yap yoi o nalaiog yuBog Kal npwtea tov Aiyuntiov ouk d^oti ^ opxnot^v tiva yeveoBai leyeiv,

yiyntiKov dvBpwnov Kal npog navta oxnyatiZeoBai Kal yeta^d^eoBai Suvayevov, wg Kal uSatog uypotnta yiyeloBai Kal nupog ¿^ut^ta ev tfl t^g Kiv^oewg o^oSpotnti Kal leovtog aypiotnta Kal napSdXewg Buyov Kal SevSpou Sovnya, Kal oXwg oti Kal Bel^oeiev (Luc. Salt. 19) — As a whole, I consider that an ancient legend about Egyptians by Proteus means the only thing, that is he was one of the dancers, a person with a gift to show humidity of the water, fervency of the fire with its strength, the anger of the lion, rage of the ounce, tree swinging and whatever he wanted; ^v Se Sopatioyog to npwtov, elta ev xepolv yevoyevoi yeta te^vng dya Kal ^iag e^pwvto tolg ^eoi (Plut. Pyrrh. 7.5) — first they throw spears, and then fought hand to hand with swards as persistent as skilfully; ouveKoyioav Se tov Xte^avov dvSpeg euXa^elg Kal enoinoav Konetov yeyav en' autw (NT. Act.ap. 8.2) — devotees buried Stephen and mourn for him fittingly.

The studied lexico-semantic subgroups are the most numerous in their groups (almost 50% of improperly-space nouns have the meaning of movements and 49% of improperly-temporal nouns indicate the process and the action of different type).

Object characteristics as to processes of movement, shifting with marking the way, environment, the way of shifting etc., are fulfilled with the help of adjectives. In Ancient Greek such adjectives belong to lexico-semantic groups of orientation adjectives and make a quite numerous sub-group. (495 lexemes): aeponopog the one rush in the air; aKponloug the one, floating up; aXinlayKtog the one travelling by sea; aeiKivntog the one who is in a constant move aepoSovntog the one floating in the air; aXinlwog the one sailing the sea; toniKog the one changing in the space; aiolonwlog the one rushing on fast horses, npo^X^g the one coming forward; npoKeXeuBog the one coming ahead; ayappoog the one flowing fast and heavily; a^iotpe^g the one moving to all sides; avaKpouotiKog the one pushing back; SiaSpoyog the one running back and forth; epnuotiKog the one who creep, crawl; nlavntog the one coming forward who is roaming, wandering, travelling.

evBa I'Sov nleiotoug Opuyag avepag aiolonwXoug (Hom. Il. 3.185) — I saw Phrygians army, it was rushing on the fast horses; autap ©p^lKag ^y' AKdyag Kal neipoog

Austrian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 5-6 (2017)

< IASTTWEST > ISSN 2310-5593 (Print) / ISSN 2519-1209 (Online)

Linguistics

^pw? oaaou? 'E^anovTo? aydppoo? ¿vto? eepyei (Hom. Il. 2.844-845) — Thracians were headed by Akamas and Piros, the hero, their countries are embraced by the Hellespont that flows fast and heavily; 9a^ev auTa ouSenoTe T^v auT^v oSov ievai, Kal d^.' dTTa daTpa ^eTa toutwv, enovo^dZovTe? nXavnTa auTd (Plat. Leg. 7.821 b.) — we say that they never move by the same way as well as some other stars, that is why we call them wandering.

Adjectives with the meaning of dynamic shift in the space also dominate in their semantic group that is absolutely correspondent to the quantity of the nouns in lexico-semantic group of nouns of improperly-space semantic, where substantives with the meaning of move are dominant.

Conclusion

The analysis of quantitative and quality structure of noun and adjective groups in Ancient Greek indicates their active part in representation of different aspects of processuality, concrete definitions of types of movement, moving in the space and time measuring.

It is also important to note that processual vocabulary of Ancient Greek is characterized by variety of world-building structure. High derivative potential of verbs, nouns and adjectives is an evidence of wide possibilities of storage of much information about different types of processes in their space and time characteristics. Study of semantic-word-building structure of the processual vocabulary in Ancient Greek is an actual and perspective line of research.

References:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6. 7.

Varpahovich L. V. Principy kodirovanija processual'noj semantiki (Princeples of Coding of Processual Seman-tics)//Functional Linguistics: a collection of scientific works/ed. A. N. Rudjakov. - № 5. - Simferopol, - 2013. - P. 57-59 (in Russ.).

Sapir E. An introduction to the study of speech. - New York: Harcourt, - 1921. - 258 p.

Sapir E. Selected Writings in Language, Culture and Personality. - Berkeley: University of California Press, -1949. - 646 p.

Cassirer E. Symbol, Myth, and Culture. - New Haven: Yale University Press, - 1981. - 304 p. Slagle van U. Language, thought and perception. A proposed theory of meaning. - Paris: Mouton, - 1974. - 60 p. Miller G. A. Language and perception. - Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, - 1976. - 760 p. Lakoff G. Women, fire, and dangerous things: What categories reveal about the mind. - Chicago: University of Chicago Press, - 1987. - 614 p.

8. Berthoff A. E. Sapir and the two tasks of language//Semiotica, - 1988. - V. 71, № 1/2. - P. 1-48.

9. Kubrjakova E. S. Jazyk i znanie (Language and Knowledge). - Moscow: The Language of Slavonic Culture, -2004. - 555 p. (in Russ.).

10. Talmy L. How Language structures Space//Spatial orientation: Theory, Research, and Application. - New York: Plenum Press, - 1983. - P. 225-282.

11. Herskovits A. Language and spatial cognition: An interdisciplinary study of the prepositions in English. - Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, - 1986. - 204 p.

12. Langacker R. W. Concept, image, and symbol: The cognitive basis of grammar. - Berlin, - 1991. - 365 p.

13. Langacker R. W. Foundation of Cognitive Grammar. Vol. 1: Theoretical prerequisites. - Stanford: Stanford University Press, - 1987. - 540 p.

14. Fillmore Ch. J. Some thoughts on the boundaries and components of//Talking minds: The Study of Language in Cognitive Science. - Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, - 1984. - P. 73-108.

15. Bardina N. V. Jazykovaja garmonizacija soznanija (Language Harmonization of the Consciousness). - Odessa: Astroprint, - 1997. - 271 p. (in Russ.).

16. Kubrjakova E. S. Chasti rechi v onomasiologicheskom osveshhenii (Parts of speech in onomapsychologi-cal view). - Moscow: Nauka, - 1978. - 115 p. (in Russ.).

Linguistics << Austrian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 5-6 (2017)

^ < 1ÄSTWEST >

saBJCEUMTis

- ISSN 2310-5593 (Print) / ISSN 2519-1209 (Online) -

17. Haritonchik Z. A. Imena prilagatelnye v leksiko-grammaticheskoj sisteme sovremennogo anglijskogo jazyka (Adjectives in Lexico-grammatical System of the Contemporary German Language). - Minsk: Vyshjejshaja shkola, -1986. - 96 p. (in Russ.).

18. Stepanova M. D., Helbig G. Chasti rechi i problema valentnosti v sovremennom nemeckom jazyke (Parts of Speech and the Problem ofValency in the Contemporary German Language). - Moscow: Vyssh. shkola, - 1978. -259 p. (in Russ.).

19. Skljarova N. G. Vzaimodejstvie alternativnosti i antonimii i ego realizacija v anglijskom jazyke (Alternatives and Antonomy Interconnection and its Realization in English)//Functional Linguistics: a collection of scientific works/ed. A. N. Rudjakov. - № 5. - Simferopol, - 2013. - P. 377-379. (in Russ.).

20. Lakoff Dzh. Myshlenie v zerkale klassifikatorov (Classifiers as a Reflection of Mind: The Experiential, Imaginative, and Ecological Aspects.)//New in Foreign Linguistics. - V. XIII. - Moscow, - 1988. - P. 12-51. (in Russ.).

Information about the author

Yevgeniya S. Chekareva, PHD in Philology, Assistant Professor, Head of the History of Foreign Literature

and Classical Philology Department, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Ukraine

Address: fl. 18, 5A, Jurjevskaja Str., 61001, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Tel.: + (38) 050- 605-57-57

E-mail: e. [email protected]

ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8098-8025