CC BY
3УДК 81 Manina E. V., Belozerova A.A.
Manina E.V.
Ural Federal University named after Boris Yeltsin (Ekaterinburg, Russia)
Belozerova A.A.
Ural Federal University named after Boris Yeltsin (Ekaterinburg, Russia)
THE CONCEPT OF A STYLISTIC FIGURE AN OXYMORON IN ENGLISH
Аннотация: the scientific article is devoted to the study of the concept of oxymoron in the English language in order to prove the relevance of the application of this concept in modern realities. The features of the use of the oxymoron in English, its typology, functions, and its translation into Russian are discussed. The article is useful for specialists in the field of linguistics and journalism.
Ключевые слова: oxymoron, smart stupidity, lexical audacity, linguistic phenomenon, English, Russian, journalism, politics.
An oxymoron is a specific linguistic phenomenon based on the combination of two concepts that do not combine with each other or are opposite to each other in semantics. The essence of the oxymoron is the deliberate violation of logic, the creation of absurdity, "witty stupidity." The peculiarity of the oxymoron is the fact that its two parts do not connect, but create a new meaning.
Scientists especially highlight the illogical basis of the oxymoron, the contradiction that lies in its components. The oxymoron is close to such stylistic techniques as absurdity, paradox, contrast, and irony. The oxymoron contains a deep philosophical meaning and a bright distinctive feature - the opposite, which only "in this combination forms an additional meaning", which cannot exist in other phraseological expressions [4]
According to I.R. Galperin, an oxymoron is "a combination of an attributive character in which the meaning of a definition contradicts or logically excludes the meaning of the defined" [10].
Most linguists conclude that the oxymoron is a short and very capacious tool capable of giving a multi-valued, complex characterization of any phenomena of the surrounding reality. In addition, the phenomenon of the oxymoron consists in the fact that it reveals the essence of opposite and contradictory phenomena, while simultaneously giving novelty to the lexical compatibility of words [9].
V.P. Moskvin claims: "The basis of the oxymoron as a kind of absurdity is a deliberate violation of the logical law of contradiction, according to which a judgment and its denial, in particular opposite assessments, cannot be simultaneously true in relation to the same object" [7].
I.A. Malyarova suggests that in some cases the "combination of antonyms" can be considered an oxymoron [11]. The phenomenon of the oxymoron also consists in the fact that incompatible and opposite concepts in it not only do not level one another, but also create something completely new that did not exist before [8].
According to A.A. Chernenko, the process of understanding the meaning inherent in the oxymoron consists in correlating the meanings of the lexical elements included in it, and subsequently determining the resulting new meaning. As a result, there is a "deautomatization of text perception" [5]. It is worth noting, however, that this feature of perception is peculiar only to the first acquaintance with the oxymoronic combination, and over time it can persist in consciousness as stable.
Morphological means can also serve as a way to create expressive sound: the use of suffixes of evaluative action, transposition (that is, the transition of a lexeme from one part of speech to another or the rearrangement of sounds, syllables), etc.
The oxymoron is used both in fiction and in the press in live speech, performing a number of important functions. Usually an oxymoron signals the author's linguistic and mental creativity.
In the text, it is intended to influence the emotional sphere of the reader, determine the position and personality of the author, inform the reader or entertain. It can also perform evaluation or humor functions [10].
If you read or translate a lot, you've probably noticed that sometimes oxymorons are very difficult to interpret. Those who are just starting to learn English may misunderstand the meaning of a strange phrase or even consider it a mistake.
Why do you need to use an oxymoron in speech if there is no logic in it? The first reason for this is the desire to draw attention to yourself and to what you are talking about. In addition, the oxymoron gives speech a certain charm. And, of course, do not forget about the entertainment component: an oxymoron will help the author to show wit and amuse the interlocutor.
Abstracting from colloquial speech, oxymorons are often used in news headlines, movie titles (Back to the Future - "Back to the Future", Eyes Wide Shut -"With eyes Wide Closed"), music groups (Blind Guardian - "Blind Guardian") and books (Up The Down Staircase - "Up the stairs leading down" by Bel Kaufman).
There are many frequently used oxymorons in English. Among them there are those that have become so familiar that the contradiction does not become noticeable immediately. Here is a short list with examples:
1. The living dead - живые мертвецы.
2. Alone together - наедине друг с другом.
3. Deafening silence - оглушающая тишина.
4. Virtual reality - виртуальная реальность [1].
Speaking about the typology of oxymorons, S.B. Kozinets identifies three common types:
1) opposite combinations of words that occur in speech unconsciously, as a speech error (an unimportant problem - неважная проблема),
2) as a stylistic figure - (dumb wit - тупое остроумие),
3) as a compound term (dry wine - сухое вино).
In addition, explicit and implicit oxymorons should be separated. In the first case, these are combinations in which antonymous lexemes are synthesized.
In the second case, implicit oxymorons will be identified using one basic feature: the reliance here is on an assumption, not a value.
The main functions of the oxymoron include the creation of a comic effect -in its various manifestations. It can be a joke, satire, irony. The oxymoron is able to convey any comic shades [2].
However, a work of fiction or a journalistic text does not always pursue such a goal. Often, an oxymoron acts as a means of conveying a character's special experiences and feelings, or the author uses an oxymoron to show the inconsistency of his inner world (expressive function).
The use of an oxymoron may indicate the expression of the author's position in the text, to reveal his personality. This can be especially noticeable in highly controversial articles, in putting an oxymoron in the title. In this way, the author signals his attitude to the problem under discussion. Nevertheless, this is an intentional function, which consists in transmitting an emotional interpretation of the worldview embodied in a particular work of art. It aims to convey to the reader the author's point of view on what is happening, his emotional portrait and attitude to the characters and their actions [Ibid.].
It is impossible not to mention the emotional-regulatory function, designed to impress the reader. Each work of art finds an emotional response from the reader, provokes him to evaluate, and this effect is achieved thanks to the emotional-evaluative vocabulary, which can have both positive and negative connotations.
We must not forget about the information function, which is one of the main functions in journalism. An oxymoron can name an object or phenomenon, give information about it.
The evaluative function is one of the main functions performed by the oxymoron in the text. S.B. Kozinets writes: "The attributive components of such oxymorons already contain an evaluative component, however, expressive and evaluative connotations are multiplied by a combination of opposite concepts" [6].
If we talk about journalism, here the oxymoron acts as a "product of the linguocreative practice of a journalist" [10]. In addition, it is part of a journalistic text - both in a stylistic and communicative context.
Thus, the following main functions of oxymorons in the text can be distinguished:
1) comic,
2) expressive,
3) expression of the author's position,
4) intentional,
5) emotional and regulatory,
6) evaluation,
7) information-nominative.
So, an oxymoron is a specific linguistic phenomenon based on the combination in this trope of two concepts that either do not combine with each other or are opposite to each other in semantics. The essence of the oxymoron is a deliberate violation of logic, the creation of absurdity, "witty stupidity." The peculiarity of the oxymoron is the fact that both parts of it do not level each other, but generate a new meaning.
The oxymoron is used both in fiction and journalism, performing a number of important functions in the text. Usually an oxymoron signals the linguistic and mental creativity of the author.
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