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5проелемы современного осрпзоопнип
O.A. Soluyanova
NON-TRIVIAL MEANINGS OF POLYSEMANTIC VERBS IN DIDACTIC ASPECT
Keywords: non-trivial meaning, polysemy, plateosemy, didactic aspect, dictionary, translation class.
Abstract: The aim of the current research project is to explore the problem of non-trivial meanings of polysemantic verbs and work out the methods of dealing with them in translation classroom. The research studies the difference between polysemantic and plateosemantic verbs, explains the idea of 'non-trivial' as opposed to 'trivial' and defines the criteria which help distinguish between trivial and non-trivial meanings of verbs. Various examples are provided throughout the research to support the author's conclusions. Next, the research looks into the problem of working with such verb meanings in translation classroom and provides some advice for teachers.
Ключевые слова: нетривиальное значение, полисемия, платеосемия, дидактический аспект, словарь, занятие по переводу.
Аннотация: Цель данного исследования заключается в исследовании проблемы нетривиального значения глаголов широкой семантики и выработке методов работы с ними в рамках занятий по переводу. В статье рассматривается разница между многозначными глаголами и глаголами широкой семантики или платеосемантами, проясняется значение термина "нетривиальный" в оппозиции к "тривиальный", а также определяются критерии, используемые при определении тривиальности/нетривиальности значения глагола. В доказательство приводятся разнообразные примеры, подтверждающие точку зрения автора. Кроме того, в исследовании говорится о проблеме работы с нетривиальными значениями глаголов на занятиях по перевожу и приводятся некоторые советы для преподавателей.
The present research is dedicated to the problem of non-trivial meanings of polysemantic verbs and methods of working with them in translation classroom. The problem remains of great current interest among scholars despite many works on polysemantic verbs starting with the second half of XX century up to the latest researches in this field (publications by A. A. Avdeyev, V.A. Zagorodnaya, N.V. Eyevleva, E.I. Malyutina). The fact that the problem is still relevant can be explained by regular appearance of new meanings of polysemantic verbs and finding new shades of meaning in the existing ones.
The aim of the research is to describe non-trivial meanings of polysemantic verbs systematically and to work out methods of teaching them to students during translation classes.
To succeed in the research and reach the given goal the following issues should be tackled:
• To show the difference between the terms "polysemantic verb" or polysemant and "broad meaning verb" (plateosemant);
• To work out the criteria of defining whether this or that meaning of the verb is trivial/non-trivial.
• To set out methods of working with these meanings of verbs in translation classes.
It has already been mentioned that verb poly- and plateosemy in modern linguistics are not quite thoroughly studied and explored, which is clearly seen from the absence of the term "plateosemy" in linguistics textbooks whose authors prefer to dwell on polysemy only and its relation to homonymy and sometimes monosemy. It is not infrequent that polysemants and plateosemants are seen as the same notion.
In general, scholars have admitted so far that broad meaning verbs or plateosemants have a common broad meaning, polydenotativeness, being related to the notion of broad range of meanings, contextual dependence on submeanings (not singled out in the general structure of the verb) and the absence of semantic derivation between them. Traditionally the criteria to distinguish between polysemantic verbs and broad meaning verbs are the following: one non-variable broad meaning in the semantic structure of a plateosemant and several lexical-semantic variants defining the fragmentary nature of a polysemant; plateosemants having unlike polysemants such characteristics as grammaticalization, polyfunctionality, bigger or lesser desemantization, high potential of word collocation, usage frequency. The question here is whether all the listed criteria are relevant. [7]
On the whole, when studying poly- and plateosemy researchers still stick to the definition of the concept given by prof. N. N. Amosova back in 1963, namely "meaning having the maximum
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degree of generalization, appearing as it is only in conditions of isolating the word from speech and obtaining the necessary narrowing of meaning when being used in speech" [1] (which is also relevant for polysemy as well as the lexical-semantic variant of a polysemantic word can only be seen in the context). At present the issue of ways to describe the non-variable meaning of a plateosemant and representing its structure within the variety of its contextual realizations is still relevant. The problem of plateosemy vs polysemy is still not solved, the difference between the two concepts is not yet clear. [7]
The next issue to be dealt with in the course of the research is defining the criteria which would help distinguish between trivial and non-trivial meanings of verbs. On the one hand the term "non-trivial" seems to be quite understandable and easy to explain. The dictionary defines it as 1) something not trivial, obvious; complicated (e.g. "Profound knowledge of this field is necessary to tackle this non-trivial problem") or 2) original, unusual, new, not trite (e.g. "Being a leader means having the ability to think in a non-trivial way, make clear-cut decisions and act unhesitatingly.") [3] So how do you apply the given definition to the meaning of a verb? Let's analyze the English verb "do" since this is the verb that has the broadest semantics in the language. Its main meaning is to perform some action, often of physical nature, something specific. For instance, "to do homework", "to do physical exercises", "to do one's best", "to do one's hair", "to do a bedroom", "to do sigh t-seeing". This meaning is trivial, obvious, the first that occurs to you when they ask you "to do" something.
Let's have a look at another example: "to do well" (to feel well, not to be ill). Is there any action in this case? No, there is not. The meaning of the expression refers to a person's physical state, their health and well-being and the action is absent. So is the meaning of the verb in this example trivial or non-trivial? Judging by the definition of "non-trivial" - i.e. unusual - yes, it is nontrivial. On the other hand, is this meaning new? The expression "to do well" appeared in the English language a long time ago, its frequency of usage is high, there is nothing original in it, it doesn't feel new. Therefore, it cannot be said to be non-trivial.
One more example: "to do one's nut" which means "to go furious", "рассвирепеть". Is there any action in this case? In fact, there is not. A person who does his/her nut doesn't actually make efforts to go furious, doesn't influence their body to find themselves in the state of furiousness, so to say. It's in fact vice versa. Somebody else performs an action on that person. For i nstance, employees have failed to finish some business project in time and therefore drive their boss mad, act in such a way that the boss does his/her nut. And when the boss finds him- or herself in this emotional state, they can feel the desire, the urge to perform some actions as a result: to fire someone, to cut the wages or not to pay any bonuses, to yell at the employees. Depends on a person. In other words, the seme of "action" in this case is present, however, its vector is different: the action is not performed by the subject, it is the subject that becomes the addressee of this action, and as a result the subject might perform some subsequent actions.
Some more examples of the verb "do":
I think you've been done. - Мне кажется, что вас провели.
That last set of tennis did me. - Этот последний сет меня доконал.
The police will do you. - Полиция тебя оштрафует. [4]
In all these cases the main seme of performing an action is there, but besides that there are many other semes here: "to cheat", "pull the wool over one's eyes", "to make someone feel exhausted", "to run somebody into the ground", " to make a person pay a certain sum of money imposed as punishment for an offence". In other words, the action is performed not for its own sake as in the phrase "to do physical exercises" but with a purpose.
Is the meaning of the verb "do" in these cases non-trivial? It is unusual, not obvious. Therefore, it is non-trivial. On the other hand, is it new? As this meaning has been fixed in a dictionary,
проелемы современного осрпзоопнип
then it must have been some time - at least a year or two - since its appearance in human speech. Over this period of time the expression should have become quite frequent for lexicographers to consider it necessary to include this meaning in the dictionary in accordance with all the criteria of selecting lexical units (LU) for dictionaries. How new or non-trivial can the meaning with high frequency of usage be? The problem here is in determining the border between frequent and trivial and quite frequent and non-trivial. At the current stage of the research there are no clear-cut criteria due to very few verbs and their meanings that have been analyzed so far.
Other examples of possibly non-trivial meanings of polysemantic verbs include:
RUN:
I can't run to that - я не могу себе этого позволить
It won't run to that - До этого не дойдёт
That will run to a pretty penny - Это влетит в копеечку
To force a person to give the user their property - That jacket is tight yo, better run that shit bitch before I pop a cap in yo ass!
To sell/peddle drugs. To smuggle drugs - Will you run some drugs across the border for me. To describe a blatant sexual encounter - Dude i'm going to run her tonight. To inject a narcotic, usually heroin - Fool, you can't just run that shit in the middle of the street.
To do something as hard and with as much determination and strength as you can - I'll run. Have a little faith in me.
GIVE:
it was given in the newspapers - об этом сообщалось в газетах I don't give a curse for - Мне до этого нет никакого дела It gives him a jag - это возбуждает его
She did not give the matter even a passing thought - Она не придала этому значения
Something had to give - Так не могло больше продолжаться
There is not much give in this cloth - Эта ткань почти совсем не тянется
MAKE:
To poop - You mind if my doggy make on your lawn?
To have sex with - I'd love to make her--give her the greatest sex ever
Make it to the train - Успеть к поезду
He makes too much of his daughter - Он слишком носится со своей дочерью I am yearning to make myself - Я жажду принести пользу
The ship was tacking trying to make the harbour - Судно лавировало, пытаясь зайти в гавань
TAKE:
To kick someone's ass - Jay is a big guy, but he's goofy as all hell, so Tim could probably take him
To beat someone quickly and effortlessly - We're gonna take you at the game today Don't take the matter seriously - Не принимайте всё всерьёз He didn't take to the idea - Ему эта идея не пришлась по вкусу
He doesn't take kindly to being treated as an inferior - Ему совсем не нравится, что на него смотрят свысока
He is really kind-hearted if you take him the right way - Он, в сущности, добрый человек, если конечно правильно его воспринимать
He will take it of my hide - Он отыграется на мне Parchment will not take ink - На пергаменте нельзя писать чернилами Play didn't take with the public - Пьеса не имела успеха у публики Take it from me that he means what he says - Поверьте мне, он не шутит Take this street until you come to the big yellow house - Идите по этой улице до большого желтого дома
I take your visit as a great honor - Я считаю ваш визит большой честь для себя
GET:
I can't get the engine of my car to start - Моя машина не заводится I couldn't get it over to him that he must come - Я никак не мог ему вдолбить в голову, что он должен прийти
I'll get back at him one day! - когда-нибудь я ему отомщу! If I get to see him I'll ask him about it - Если я его увижу, я спрошу его об этом Several blinks will get a cinder out of the eye - Моргнув несколько раз, удалишь соринку из глаза
We shall never get six of us in the car, leave alone the bags - Мы никак не поместимся вшестером в машине, не говоря уже о багаже
You may read your paper when you get it into shape - Ты сможешь сделать доклад, когда приведёшь его в надлежащий вид
Get some pash into your dance! - Больше жизни!
Get somebody on the phone - Дозвониться к кому-либо по телефону
I must get at this essay tonight - Я должен сегодня же вечером взяться за эту статью
Vancouver local slang to tell a person to get outta there. Extremely offensive.
- You moron, look what you did! Fuck off!
- Relax, it wasn't too big a deal.
- Just get. (guy leaves)
A term used to describe a "Kiss" or a "Snog" - I'm going to get with her tonight. To succeed, or to accomplish your goals Dave: "How was your job interview, Andy?" Andy: "Get!"
To steal/shoplift - Hey I think I'm going to "get" this CD. HAVE:
He had me in the first game - Он побил меня в первой партии He has no Greek - Он не знает греческого языка I have your idea - Я понял вашу мысль I'll have the law on you! - Я тебя привлеку!
She is going to have her own way - Она намерена действовать по-своему
I have it at my fingertips - Я знаю это вдоль и поперёк
I'll have you know - Я хотел бы обратить Ваше внимание на то, что...
Please, have the boy bring my books - Пусть мальчик принесёт мои книги
The ayes have it - Большинство за
The newspapers have it that... - Газеты утверждают, что
SEE:
May I see you home? - Можно мне проводить вас домой?
Depend on him to see things through - Положитесь на него - он не бросит дело на полдороге
провлсмы современного осппзоппнип
He can't see a joke - Он не понимает шуток
They can spend the money as they see fit - Они могут тратить деньги по своему разумению
He is glad to see the back of - Он счастлив, что отделался от (кого-л.)
He will never see 40 again - Ему уже за 40 лет
The doctor ought to see him at once - Доктор должен сейчас же его осмотреть
To fight or to challenge - If he don't like it, then he can come see me
To meet up for a sexual encounter - Hey, come see me at five
One more criterion of distinguishing between trivial and non-trivial meaning of a polysemantic verb can be its (i. e. the meaning's) absence/presence in the dictionary.
Every day human speech sees new expressions where already known words or lexical units are collocated with other LUs, different from the ones that form speech patterns. In such cases the LU obtains one more, non-trivial, meaning, specified by the context. the problem here is that this particular meaning is not fixed in dictionaries since its frequency is still too low, yet the expression is quite actively used by a specific group of people. One of the 'suppliers' of new meanings is the Internet. For instance, everyone knows the phrase 'the painting hangs (on the wall)', which makes the meaning of the verb 'to hang' clear: to be attached to the wall by means of a nail and a piece of string. But how do you explain the phrase 'the comment hangs' (literal translation from Russian). It is used by Russian owners of blogs and social networks users and means a non-existent comment, when the comment counter registers one which in fact isn't there when you click it. In the first example the object - painting - is really there, on the wall, whereas in the second example the object is missing.
If we look up the meaning of the Russian verb "to hang" - "висеть" in the dictionary, this is what we'll see:
1) Будучи прикреплённым к чему-л., находиться в вертикальном положении без опоры внизу, на весу (to be attached to a wall with a nail and a piece of string and with no props below). (картина висит - the painting hangs);
2) обременять собою, заботами о себе (to make oneself a burden to somebody) (висеть
на шее - to leech off someone, to feed on someone);
3) Быть чрезмерно свободным, широким не по фигуре (to be loose, of the wrong size)
(Пальто висит на нём, как на вешалке. - His coat bags about him like a sack);
4) Быть близким к проявлению, возникновению; ощущаться (to be about to appear, to be
felt) (Гооза висит в воздухе. - It feels like the thunderstorm is near, about to begin).
And some other meanings. At the same time there is nothing in the article that could explain
the meaning of the phrase "висит коммент". Therefore, judging by the criterion of ab-
sence/presence in the dictionary this meaning can be called non-trivial.
There is, however, one more thing to bear in mind: all dictionaries are different. There is, for instance, the so-called Urban Dictionary. It's an online-dictionary where a user can find definitions of mostly slang words and expressions, which have recently been coined and are not listed in common dictionaries. For example, if you go to www.urbandictionary.com and look up the word "run" there, you will find that one of the meanings of this verb is "to steal", as in Oh no, someone just ran my phone.[6] Now, if you open any English-Russian or English-English dictionary, e.g. OALD, you will not find this meaning there at all. It is quite new, recent. And this is where the question arises: if you consider the meaning non-trivial because it is not listed in the dictionary, then what kind of dictionary can serve as a trusted source? The Urban Dictionary is made by and for users. Very few of them, if any, are professional linguists and/or lexicographers. People in fact volunteer to explain this or that expression the way they understand it. They are not paid for that, and you cannot be 100% sure that the definition is accurate. And this is why the Urban Dictionary is different from other dictionaries compiled by professional lexicographers, where every word has
been checked, analyzed, assessed before being defined and fixed in the dictionary. Therefore, it appears that this criterion of distinguishing between trivial and non-trivial cannot be called absolutely valid as well.
There is something else to keep in mind while defining whether the meaning of the verb is non-trivial. Non-trivial meanings appear quite often as a result of some word or expression being used by a certain group of people, in a specific community, so to say, e.g. bloggers, internetusers, young people. These expressions often become the part of the slang used by this group and are used quite frequently. At the same time, people outside this group may have no understanding of this or that expression whatsoever. It will be new to them. It's here that we should ask ourselves: can you call the meaning of the expression in question non-trivial if it is frequently used
by one group of people and not used by another one at all.
As soon as another non-trivial meaning of a polysemantic verb appears the problem of its translation arises (which is clearly seen from the above example). In some cases such meanings are in fact loan translations from the English language (made my evening - сделал мне вечер) and are easily translated back. In other cases though the matter of choosing a proper equivalent in the target language (TL) and methods of working on it in class is not always that obvious. The next question arises here: how do we deal with such verbs and their non-trivial meanings in translation class? There is no common list of all non-trivial meanings of polysemantic verbs as the problem of distinguishing between trivial and non-trivial is not solved yet. Besides, it is not always clear which translation device is more appropriate when rendering the meaning from the source language (SL) into the TL. Should it be descriptive translation, which takes more time and space
(коммент висит - there is a non-existent comment in my blog), or should we think of some similar word in the TL, some synonym (run a phone - украсть телефон), in which case the idea of something new, unusual in the SL is lost. What should we suggest in class? It seems that every time the translation device will be chosen according to the context, which is most important it translation. There cannot be only one correct version here. So many people, so many opinions, as they say. There will always by another person who will suggest one more version, which will be as interesting and accurate, as the previous one. And it is this idea that a teacher should convey to their students, who often find it difficult to cope with the exercise, or they are simply lazy and would rather wait till they hear the teacher's version of translation, accept it as the correct one and relax. In which case their own translation skills do not develop, therefore the lesson proves useless.
All things considered, the problem is of particular interest to scholars and its exploration will be useful both for theoretical purposes - complementing the given information on polysemantic verbs - and for practical reasons - helping teachers and students of translation choose the best way to render the meaning of the verb in TL.
1. Amosova, N. Basics of English Phraseology. [Text]/ N. Amosova. Moscow: LIBROCOM, 2010. 114 p.
2. Apresyan, Y. Selected Works, vol. 2. Integral Desctiption of Language and Systematic Lexicography. [Text]/ Y. Apresyan. Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, 767 p.
3. Gramota, Russian Language Reference Website. URL: http://www.gramota.ru/ (accessesd 15 october, 2014)
4. Multitran Dictionary. URL: http://www.multitran.ru/ (accessesd 15 october, 2014)
5. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. URL: http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english (accessesd 15 october, 2014)
6. Urban Dictionary. URL : http://www.urbandictionary.com/ (accessesd 15 october, 2014)
7. Yevteyeva M. Modelling the Semantic Structure of Polysemantic Verb Do. [Text]/ M. Yevteyeva. Author's thesis abstract. Moscow, 2014. 4 p.
