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9проелемы современного осрпзоопнип
E.A. Martinovich
NON-TRIVIAL VERB MEANINGS IN SLOGAN CONSTRUCTIONS
Статья выполнена при поддержке гранта РГНФ 14-14-00497
Keywords: slogan, cognitive constructions, predicate types, imperative constructions.
Abstract: This article deals with the reasons of the meaning variability of the verbs in advertising commercial slogans. Verbs under the influence of causative imperative construction acquire new meanings. Slogan is understood here as a special cognitive predicative structure with different predicate phases (onset, nucleus, coda). After considering slogan under the characteristics of the semantic type of predicate and its phasal structure, we saw that we may find in imperative structures such verbs that in their prototypical meaning have restrictions or limitations for usage in such sentences. The author gives here the reasons for eliminating these restrictions.
Ключевые слова: слоган, когнитивные конструкции, типы предикатов, императивные конструкции.
Аннотация: В статье речь пойдет о причинах модификации значения глаголов в императивных конструкциях английских коммерческих рекламных слоганов под влиянием когнитивной структуры. Слоган представляется автору как некая когнитивная предикативная конструкция, в которой присутствуют различные фазы предикатов (предшествующая стадия, ядро и последующая стадия). Рассмотрение структуры слогана через призму теории семантического типа предиката и теории фазовости предиката в рамках когнитивного подхода позволяет объяснить то, что в императивных конструкциях рекламных слоганов используются такие глаголы, которые в своём прототипическом значении имеют запрет или ограничение на использование в императиве, а также рассмотреть механизмы снятия данных ограничений.
To understand the reasons why it is possible to use some verbs that are not usually used in imperative slogan constructions, and to understand the way these verbs get their non-trivial meanings, we need to answer the following questions: What is non-trivial? What is construction? What is slogan?
In terms of modern linguistics, "construction" has one of the central places. Linguistics has different definitions of this term. Traditional linguistics look at construction from the syntactic point of view, as an abstract structural unit, a scheme, a model without any lexical meaning. This is the trivial understanding of the word "construction". Traditionally, the English language has from 3 to 7 models of a sentence.
The most prototypical construction in the English language is the construction SVO in which S stands for Subject, V is a Verbal Predicate, and O is a Direct Object. For example: Linda broke her vase; The water damaged the picture; Mother cooked the dinner; The student wrote a letter, etc.
Each construction is a special syntactic structure which is associated with some definite semantic meanings and corresponding pragmatic characteristics. The utterance is built on the basis of the existing constructions which structure the language and work within the network model. [Langaker 1991: 35] The constructions that have basic thematic structures are associated with the prototypical situations. They, in their turn, serve as the so-called conceptual provisios of the semantic integrity of the construction.
Today, scientists speak about the term "construction" in a new sense, as a non-trivial construction. This understanding is developing within the cognitive field of linguistics and is reflected in works of different authors. [Arutyunova 1999; Demyankov 2009; Dijk van 1984; Fillmore 1982, 1990; Minsky 1974].
Adele Goldberg gives the classification of constructions in such a way that each construction has some semantics in itself according to some definite cognitive models or schemes. [Goldberg 1995]
Thus, Construction Grammar says that it is the semantics that is the key to the understanding of the real view of the world. This view of the world exists inside every human in the forms of concepts, associations or associative oppositions. Cognitive perception of reality goes through the prism of rules and limitations of the grammar structure of the text. Then the reality s divided into
definite schemes with definite meanings. These schemes appear in the language through syntactic constructions representing them.
To conclude this idea, it can be said that it is possible to construct language not only through the formal trivial constructions, but also through the definite non-trivial constructions. These constructions have special categories represented by different syntactic constructions filled with different cognitive structures.
In order to more fully understand verb meanings in slogan construction, we must also define an important term, slogan. What is slogan? The word slogan came from Gaulish (sluagh -ghairm) and means the "war cry". This is a motto of a company representing its philosophy and policy. The actual form of a slogan was coming out for a long time and historically it relates to the mottos of families and countries. And even now a lot of countries have their state slogans:
• Great Britain - "God and my right"
• USA - "In God We Trust"
• Canada - "From sea to sea"
• Scotland - "No one provokes me with impunity"
[List of national mottos]
In its modern meaning, as an advertising slogan, the word slogan began being used in 1880. There are some definite general rules of creating advertising slogans. A slogan should:
• Represent the main idea of the advertisement;
• Be easy to read and remember;
• Be short;
• Be impressive;
• Have the brand name (not necessarily). [Kostina, Makarevich 2006: 288].
Together with the brand name, and logo slogan is the basic component of the advertising campaign, providing a constant connective element, and it is included into every advertisement.
Now that slogan is defined, let's unite the ideas of construction, slogan and non-triviality.
In speaking about non-trivial constructions, the idea of causative construction with its special group of predicates cannot be ignored. The category of causation is important for understanding the cognitive structures of advertising slogans because the main semantics of the slogan is to cause some definite action, i.e. to buy the advertised product.
Construction Grammar helped us look at the potential of non-trivial cognitive slogan constructions. The next question arises. What is cognitive construction? This is a non-trivial construction and moreover it is a semantically undividable structure and it is also a frame and a scheme that includes certain structures. Then the author decided to find the essence of the potential of such structures of the language as slogans. We took 2000 slogans and looked at them structurally, cognitively, and semantically. The first classification noted was the structural classification of slogans. The results were as follows:
40% of slogans are nominal constructions:
• Medicine of the highest order. (University of Rochester, school of medicine and dentistry, USA);
• Buick. The spirit of American style. (Buick car brand);
• Dog's rule. (Pedigree brand);
• Cool to the core. (Nestea Cool, bottled iced tea).
28% are imperative constructions:
• Open your world. (Omaha Public Library);
• Join the debate. (The Times newspaper, UK.);
• Ragu Robusto. Eat Life Up. (Ragu Robusto pasta sauce brand);
• Catch the Spirit! (Spirit Airlines, USA.).
20 % goes to SV (Subject + Verbal Predicate) constructions:
• We are driving excitement. (Pontiac Vehicles)
nPOGACMU COfiPCM€HHOrO 0GPn30ttnHHit
• Your child's future begins here. (The Tutoring Center, USA, international chain, tutoring and academic programs for K-12)
• We play what we like and nothing else. (BBC 6 Music, radio station).
Parallel constructions, Partial constructions and constructions with Participle II took 3.4%
each:
• Your life. Your music. (Smooth radio);
• Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's Maybelline. (Maybelline makeup brand)
• Red Bull. Vitalizes body and mind. (Red Bull energy drink brand, Austria)
• KIA cee'd. Responds to your life! (KIA cee'd automobiles)
• Nissan Primera. Designed to improve your performance (Nissan Primera cars).
• Peaches Uniforms. Designed for fit. Loved for style. (Peaches Uniforms, medical uniforms, labcoats, nurses dresses)
Constructions with Modal verbs were found in 2,4% slogans:
• You can't eat without it. (Heinz Tomato Ketchup);
• Celestial Seasonings. Tea doesn't have to be boring. (Celestial Seasonings, trademark of specialty teas).
As seen, the main slogan constructions are nominal constructions and imperative constructions. This is very interesting in itself because generally imperative constructions are not very popular in the language generally. But in slogans they find their place mostly because of their causative origin, which is extremely important for the advertising sphere.
Usual (normal) construction for the language is a traditional two-membered construction representing the relations between the Subject and the Predicate. The usage of one-membered sentences is somehow a deviant language notion. Among traditional two-membered structures, one-membered sentences become a strong stylistic device used to influence the recipient. So what is the main task of an advertising text generally and a slogan specifically? To attract recipient's attention and, more importantly, to influence to influence this recipient, make him buy the required advertised product.
Imperative construction, according to its morphological structure, is a verbal one, so it can be viewed through such notions as semantic type of predicate, phasal structure of predicate, semantic role of predicate and others, i.e. they possess the cognitive construction which is the main thing in determining the sense of a text.
The verb is the central part of speech that helps to reveal cognitive processes in the speech act. It is the verb that represents the dynamic influence power. It influences the recipient in the aspects of illocutionary and perlocutionary forces.
As explained previously, the idea of the slogan was looked at generally. Now the idea of the cognitive potential of this phenomenon will be explored.
Slogan is understood by the author as a special cognitive predicative structure that has different predicate phases. The structure of each predicate consists of the following phases: onset, nucleus, coda. And each of these phases has its own predicate with its own phases. The cognitive predicative slogan structures are represented in the following schemes:
onset
nucleus
coda
-►
BE, HAVE BUY VERB
o nset nu cleus
coda
coda
onset nucleus coda
onset
nucleus
In the onset of a cognitive slogan construction, we have the following structure: THERE IS A COMPANY THAT HAS A PRODUCT, in the nucleus - the structure IF YOU BUY IT, and in the coda there is the actual verb.
Among the examples of imperative constructions, however, we found examples with verbs that are usually not used in imperative sentences.
• Evian. Live young. (Evian, natural spring water)
• Feelmax. Love your feet. (Feelmax toe socks)
• Imperial. Love Every Bite. (Imperial soft margarine)
• Fiat Seicento. Be small again. (Fiat Seicento model)
• Be moved. (United Taxi, taxi company in Kitchener, Canada.)
• Nissan. Enjoy the ride. (Nissan Motor's cars)
• Enjoy a moment of light refreshment. (Barry's Tea brand, Green blend)
They have some limitations or even restrictions to usage in imperative constructions, because they do not represent the action, they represent state. These restrictions are eliminated when these statal verbs (or verbs of mental ability, like "think") appear in the frame structure of the coda of the whole slogan. Verbs under the influence of causative imperative construction acquire new meanings, non-trivial ones.
Let's see an example. Let's consider the predicative structure of the following slogan:
• Weis. Berry yourself. (Weis ice cream brand. For Raspberry bar)
Berry is not actually a verb, it is usually a noun, but in this sentence it becomes a verb with the help of the conversion process.
The cognitive scenario of this slogan is the following:
THERE IS A COMPANY WEIS THAT HAS A RASBERRY ICE-CREAM AND IF YOU BUY IT YOU WILL ENJOY THE PROCESS OF EATING IT AND WILL TASTE THE REAL BERRIES.
We divide this cognitive predicative scenario into the following phases:
1) onset - THERE IS A COMPANY WEIS THAT HAS A RASBERRY ICE-CREAM;
2) nucleus - IF YOU BUY IT;
3) coda - YOU WILL ENJOY THE PROCESS OF EATING IT AND WILL TASTE THE REAL BERRIES.
The Subject S (Weis Company) causes Object O2 (recipient) to buy the Object O1 (icecream). After this O2 turns into possessive relations with O which can be shown in the following scheme:
HAVE
O2 > O1
ENJOY
So the coda here presents a complex semantic process. O1 induces O2 with certain taste feelings that help the latter to come into the state of pleasure and enjoyment. The verb berry here is the experiential type of the predicate that gets into a different cognitive construction changing its semantics and gives certain characteristics to the action predicate. Thus, the limitations are eliminated and this verb can be used in an imperative construction.
Another example was found, using different verbs. Here is a second example:
• Feelmax. Love your feet. (Feelmax toe socks)
Here, the verb love gets into cognitive causative slogan construction which influences its meaning. The scenario of this advertising slogan includes three stages and can be shown as the following full two-membered structure:
nPOGACMU CO tip CMCHHOfO 0GP/130nnHUn
THERE IS A COMPANY FEELMAX THAT HAS VERY COMFORTABLE SOCKS AND IF YOU BUY THESE SOCKS YOU WILL FEEL SO MUCH COMFORT AND ENJOYMENT THAT YOU WILL LOVE YOUR FEET.
Therefore, the frame structure of this slogan can be represented as the interconnection of the following phases with their own predicates:
1) onset - THERE IS A COMPANY FEELMAX THAT HAS VERY COMFORTABLE SOCKS;
2) nucleus - IF YOU BUY THESE SOCKS;
3) coda - YOU WILL FEEL SO MUCH COMFORT AND ENJOYMENT THAT YOU WILL LOVE YOUR FEET.
The Subject S here is the company Feelmax, the Object O2 are the potential buyers of this company's product, i.e. socks (Object O ).
Locutionary force of this text is represented in the onset of the cognitive slogan construction and in the real language is represented through the usage of the Subject S in the one-membered nominal sentence: Feelmax. In this case, the Subject S initiates actions (application of forces) to overcome the obstacles for the situation in which the Object O2 (buyer) will use and enjoy the acquired product - Object O1. In other words, here we see the realization of the nucleus of the cognitive slogan structure, represented by the action predicate BUY. The advertiser, by causing the recipient into some actual action, eliminates the restriction for the Object O2 to come into such a state where it will be able to enjoy the Object O1 (socks). This process is the representation of the illocutionary force of the slogan, i.e. its pragmatics.
After buying O1, the recipient starts the process of perception and experience of some definite emotions caused by some special characteristics of the Object O1. In this case, the recipient can control the beginning and the ending of this process. This is the perlocutionary force of the slogan which is represented in the coda of the cognitive predicative slogan construction.
The verb love, thus, can be used in the imperative construction of this slogan because it gives the characteristic of controllability. Love acquires such characteristics as a result of getting into the causative construction of the cognitive scenario of the slogan. This scenario is characterized itself as being dynamic, active and controlled.
The verb love in this case appears in the coda of the cognitive predicative slogan construction, where it widens its semantics. It is still an experience predicate type but also it gets some definite qualities of such semantic predicate types as Action. This action predicate is semantically parallel to the eliminated verb in the real slogan text predicate BUY. The concepts BUY and ENJOY exist in the cognitive slogan structure, but in the real text we see only the representation of the concept ENJOY in the word "love".
In conclusion it can be said that the limitation to the usage of some certain verbs in the imperative sentences is eliminated, not because we change the type of the predicate, but owning to nuclear phase of the whole cognitive slogan structure, which is represented by the predicate BUY. Thus, we get the structure BUY AND ENJOY. The verb in this case preserves its prototypical meaning, but it widens it due to the complex phasal structure of the predicate.
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