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4OXYMORONS OF SEMANTICS OF INEXPRESSIBLE
Abstract
The functional-semantic category of inexpressible in Russian discourse is characterized in the article, its paralogical nature is shown; the oxymorons as frequent means of expression of this category are studied. The oxymoron to express the inexpressible is described, its interlingual and intertextual nature, the existence in the philosophical and artistic discourses at different times in different countries.
Keywords
semantics of inexpressible, functional-semantic category, paralogical category, oxymoron, intertexteme
AUTHOR Marina Mikhailova
Candidate of Education, Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages, Samara State University of Social Sciences and Education, 65/67, Maxim Gorky St., Samara, 443099, Russia.
E-mail: marinamikhailova44@gmail.com
Introduction
Explore Importance of the Problem
The study of semantics of inexpressible was actively carried out on over the past two centuries in different sciences: Philosophy, Theology, Art History. In Literary Criticism inexpressible is considered as an independent category (Kita, 2002). In Linguistics, inexpressible is fully explored in linguopoetics. In the twenty-first century the description of semantics of inexpressible as the functional-semantic category has become an urgent issue.
Status of a problem
Semantics of inexpressible is now recognized as a functional-semantic category, the representatives which are hierarchically organized and are at different levels of language (Gukovsky, 1965; Nikolaev, 2011; Kuksina, 2007). Meanwhile, to the present date there is no special study devoted to the study of semantics of inexpressible in the Russian language.
The semantic and logical specificity of semantics of inexpressible
The inexpressible as the functional-semantic category is based on the violation of the law of non-contradiction of logic. According to this law, the judgment and its negation can not both be true in relation to the same subject (Ivin, Nikiphorov, 1997). The plan of semantics of inexpressible are linguistic units with component values of 'denial of the possibility of verbal expression', but at the same time the verbalization is made. Therefore, semantics of inexpressible - is a paralogical category, its representatives are paralogous , for example .: There are no words how I love you! But such a statement consists of words!
On the other hand, the oxymoron as speech figure and not just the divice related to the aesthetic function, as a principle of usage is also a logical unintentional error, i.e. paralogous. However, many field's representatives of semantics of inexpressible are oxymorons.
Methodological Framework
Research objectives
The objectives of this study is to characterize the frequency of such means of expression of this category like an oxymoron; to describe the features of the oxymoron to express the inexpressible, to show its interlingual and intertextual nature; to consider its existence in the philosophical and literary discourses at different times in different countries.
Metodological research base
The methodological base of the semantics of inexpressible research were:
- The field of language concept (A.V. Bondarko, L.M. Vasilyev, R.M. Gysina, V.B. Goldberg, Y.N. Karaulov, V.V. Levitsky, N.M. Minin, L.A. Novikov, Z.D. Popova, I.A. Sternin, A.A. Ufimtseva etc.).;
- doctrine of denial (N.D. Arutyunova, A.A. Kalinin, L. Myronyuk, T.B. Radbil);
- study the scientific P.A. Lecant's grammar school (O.B. Akimova, E.P. Ivanyan, S.M. Kolesnikov etc.);
- study of semantics (the concept) of silence (N.D. Arutyunova, M.L. Kovshova);
- study of art apophaticism (S.I. Goncharov, R. Lachmann, M. Epstein);
- linguistic research of semantics of inexpressible (E.P. Ivanyan, M. Kita, T.M. Nikolaeva, G.S. Syritsa), the data obtained in linguopoetics (G.S. Syritsa,);
- teaching of the language of literary works (V.V. Vinogradov, N.A. Kozhevnikova, E.P. Ivanyan ets.),
- studies of paralogous linguistic phenomena (N.V. Pavlovich, A.I. Nikolaev, E.G. Shestakov and others.).
Research material
1) examples from literature of XIX - XX - XI century, prose and poetry, folklore, the author identified by continuous sampling;
2) Examples from the "Russian National Corpus" (the Main Corpus, the Corpus of living Russian speech, Subcorpus of literary prosaic texts, etc.).;
3) authors notes of colloquial speech;
4) Internet communication (forums, writings in "Live Journal", sites, etc.);
5) The examples introduced in the scientific discourse by other researchers from a different angle.
In general, we collected material of 2.600 language units, one-word phrases and in set-expressions; the total number of examples is 4.850.
Research methods
The leading method is the method of scientific description, which allows you to carry out the inventory of linguistic material in the right perspective, to explain the structure and functioning of the test specificity of language units. In the study, we applied the method of component analysis, which takes into account the paradigmatic structure of language and determines the minimum semantic components of the semantic organization of words. The component analysis method allows to take into account the discrete linguistic units (Vasilyev, 1985; Ivanyan, 2013; Uphimtseva, 1986). Also, the definitional, oppositive, contrastive-comparative and transformation methods were used in the study.
Literature Review
It should be mentioned that according to a narrow understanding of oxymorons, only combinations of a headword can be related to them - a noun and a dependent adjective (hot snow, a living corpse), (Vasilyev, 1985), or a combination of an adverb and an
adjective (Atayeva, 1975; Pavlovich, 1995). According to the broad approach, we can relate to oxymorons combinations based on syntactic relations of coordination, management and adjunction, as well as a combination of an oxymoron type (composed, superordinate, predicative), see (Kozhevnikova, 1986; Moskvin, 2007; Pavlovich, 1995; Syritsa, 2009; Shestakova, 2009). We share the view of scientists that support a broad understanding of the oxymoron.
Results
Oxymorons of the semantics of inexpressible
As our survey has shown, semantics of inexpressible has the following oxymoron-representatives: there are no words; to say without words; a screaming silence, a silent language, a mute speech; to express the inexpressible. The oxymoron-representatives are built on a combination of antonyms. The dominant of the field of semantics of inexpressible is the oxymoron to express the inexpressible. This is a field constituent, which transfers the categorical meaning of inexpressible most clearly and is regularly used. The breadth of the application of this representative applies to the majority of the functional varieties of the Russian language (colloquial, scientific, journalistic, literal).
Specificity of the oxymoron "to express the inexpressible"
In general, the dominant of semantics of inexpressible the oxymoron to express the inexpressible is a high-frequent mean and reaches almost 20% of the total number of language material we have collected.
The components of this oxymoron are in antonymous relations, represent the opposite manifestations of one and the same entity. As A.I Nikolaev notes, the oxymoron is a device where one concept is defined by its impossibility. As a result, the two are partly lose their meaning, and a new value is formed (Nikolaev, 2011).
The oxymoron to express the inexpressible is one of the oxymoronic expressions. E.G. Shestakova calls such units frozen expressions that are defined in their basis (Shestakova, 2009). The researcher notes that there are also modifications of oxymoronic expressions. These modifications are not not created each time, and are used as specified.
In our material these are such modifications of the oxymoron as expressing the inexpressible, expressed the inexpressible, the inexpressible is expressive, the expressible is inexpressive. Though the invariant of this modification is the oxymoron to express the inexpressible.
This oxymoron is included to the semantic field of the ideas of negative dialectics (apophatics), apophatic theology, dating back from the text of Dionysius the Areopagite and N. Kusansky reasonings, the concept of Jena romantics with their slogan to express the inexpressible.
This expression which came into many languages in the world through the ideas of Jena romantics, is now necessary to recognize as interlingual oxymoron.
Oxymoron "express the inexpressible" in philosophical discourse
In this connection, the called oxymoron is common in philosophical discourse, eg .: "The trial of the concept of being carried out, if conceptually mastered the true meaning, contributing to its restoration, comprehended philosophically impulse to express the inexpressible. Philosophy timidly opposed to this desire, its innermost, the greater the temptation for it without suffering Sisyphean labor, directly come to the inexpressible "(Adorno, 2013). We will note that here and throughout the text of the article there are our examples - MM in bold selection.
Oxymoron "express the inexpressible" in scientific discourse The interlingual oxymoron to express the inexpressible is active not only in the foreign but also Russian scientific discourse, eg .: "Of course," is Zhukovsky's thesis about the inexpressivness of the human soul expressed with a word is a poetic image. After all a poem created only to express the "inexpressible" - and this is the main task of the poet Zhukovsky, "(Gukovsky, 1965).
The representative of semantics of inexpressible to express the inexpressible entered as a term in the meta-theory of literature, poetics of Romanticism, philosophy, aesthetics, artistic practice of Jena romantics, and then - their followers, who lived at different times in different countries. Thus, V.I. Abramova, examining the theme of "inexpressible" in Russian romantic poetry of the XIX century., concluded that the main source of its semantics is the aesthetics and artistic practice of Jena romantics (Abramova, 2007). The conceptual term to express the inexpressible is used in the meta-theory of literature, not only in the characterization of Romanticism, but also other trends in art, in particular, the Symbolists and others. See the example of Yu.A. Malyuga: "In fact, it is already in positions of symbolism were such romantics as Hoffmann, Merimee and Melville. To express the inexpressible by means of hints, allusions and moods tried first of all poetry "( Malyuga, 1999).
Compare with the example the statements about the members of OBERIU (Association of real art) "Oberius did not aspire to express the inexpressible (as modernists), and to demonstrate the impossibility of this" (Uphimtseva, 1986).
As A.I. Nikolaev notes, the feature of oxymoron is that it always provokes plotbirth: the reader, faced with a blatantly impossible phrase, will "finish building the" sense (Nikolaev, 2011).
The oxymoron to express the inexpressible provokes plotbirth for centuries, also as the term of meta-theory of literature. See the meaning-quote from M.Yu. Lotman, "historically the most active symbols are characterized by the well-known uncertainty in the relationship between the text-expression and the text-content. (...) Therefore, the expression does not fully cover the content, but only as it alludes to it. Is this due to the fact that the expression is only a brief mnemonic sign blurred text content, or belonging first to the profane, open and demonstrated the cultural sphere, and the second - to the sacred, esoteric, secret, or a romantic need "to express the inexpressible," - here is indifferent "(Lotman, 1992).
Intertextual role of the oxymoron "to express the inexpressible" N.V. Pavlovich indicates that the oxymoron creates a separate image that includes both intertextual and creates a connection actively absorbed and manifested in themselves and through themselves verbally and cultural memory " (Pavlovich, 1995). What has been said rightly suggests that oxymorons organize text intertextual relationship. With respect to our material it is important in the light of the fact that the interlingual oxymoron nuclear representative of semantics of inexpressible to express the inexpressible is an intertexteme. It joins scientific texts (philosophical, literary, cultural) and poetic speech in time and space.
Discussions
Some means of expression of semantics of inexpressible attracted the attention of linguists in the study of phenomena related to semantics of inexpressible (uncertainty, default), see works (Gorshkova, 2005; Ivanyan, 2015) in the characterization of a particular linguistic phenomenon (pronoun substantivat it, indefinite pronouns, omocomplex it) see the works (Gorshkova, 2005; Kuksina, 2007) in the characterization of semantics of inexpressible within ethnolinguistic and linguopoetic aspects (Syritsa, 2009;
Syritsa, 2014; Syritsa, 2015). However oxymorons of semantics of inexpressible in the linguistic aspect, have not yet been subject to review not only in the monographic study or a scientific article, but they are not mentioned even in connection with the reference of semantics of inexpressible.
Conclusion
Concluding the review of relationship between the concepts of semantics of inexpressible and oxymorons, we will note that these terms have similar features, since both are characterized by paralogism.
Semantics of inexpressible contains a number of oxymoronic representatives. Among the oxymoronic representatives of semantics of inexpressible the nuclear is the oxymoron to express the inexpressible. The representative of inexpressible to express the inexpressible, being an oxymoron expression is represented in a significant number of its modifications, in most functional varieties of the Russian language.This representative takes its origin dating back to the text of Dionysius the Areopagite and N. Kusansky reasonings, the concept of Jena romantics with their slogan to express the inexpressible. Currently, the oxymoron to express the inexpressible carries intertextual relations in time and space, that is it is an interlingual intertexteme.
Recommendations
The results of oxymorons study of functional-semantic category of inexpressible will be useful for further development of the theory of oxymorons, as well as a comprehensive study of the field constituents of semantics of inexpressible both in Russian and other languages.
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