СКАЗАТЬ? ПРОМОЛЧАТЬ? ИЛИ УМОЛЧАТЬ? РЕЦЕНЗИЯ НА МОНОГРАФИЮ: ИВАНЯН Е. П. СЕМАНТИКА УМОЛЧАНИЯ И СРЕДСТВА ЕЁ ВЫРАЖЕНИЯ В РУССКОМ ЯЗЫКЕ. МОСКВА: ФЛИНТА, 2015. – 328 С.

Научная статья
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18454/RULB.6.43
Выпуск: № 2 (6), 2016
PDF

Аннотация

Pецензия представляет читателю монографическое исследование Е. П. Иванян, выполненное в русле научной школы грамматики П. А. Леканта. В рецензируемой монографии предложена характеристика семантики умолчания как функционально-семантической категории. Автор монографии предлагает концепцию умолчания в структурно-семантическом аспекте. В монографии представлена функциональная характеристика семантики умолчания, обоснована взаимосвязь умолчания и эвфемии. Особый интерес представляет описание категории умолчания в художественной речи, а также демонстрация функциональной безграничности феномена умолчания в коммуникативных практиках.

The reviewed monograph is devoted to the studying of default in the Russian language. The structure of this phenomenon is described in detail, its functional characteristic is given in this work. The author pays special attention to the description of split-level language means of expression of default in the Russian language.

According to the author – professor Elena Pavlovna Ivanyan – this monograph will be useful "to students of philological specialties, linguists, and also a wide range of the persons who are interested in a problem of functioning of the category of default in the Russian language" [1, P. 2].

The research of default has deep potential due to the functional infinity. Default as the language phenomenon can be used in the most various situations: "to interest, tell so that not to offend, embellish, create to the addressee conditions for cooperation, to mislead, deceive, make the speech convincing, not causing objection" [1, P. 5]. The purpose of the monograph "Semantics of Default and Means of  Its Expression in the Russian language" is to try to generalize various ways to hold back; to keep back, reveal problems of using default in speech. And the undoubted dignity of the author of this work is multidimensional approach to studying of the phenomenon of default in Russian.

The monograph consists of introduction, three chapters, the conclusion and the application.

Chapter 1 is devoted to the complex description of semantics of default in Russian. A general idea about the called phenomenon from the point of view of different scientists is given. In our opinion, the fact that definition of value of the term "default" is given through a prism of various positions, different spheres of studying the language (the Russian poetics, studying of a structure of the text, pragmalinguistics, semasiology etc.) is very successful. Opinions of the leading foreign and Russian linguists, such as S. Vidlak, A. Kvyatkovsky, G. Paul, O. B. Akimova O. S. Akhmanova, V. V. Vinogradov, A. A. Volkov, I. R. Galperin, V. I. Gusev, B. A. Larin, D.E. Rosenthal, M. A. Shelyakin, etc. are given.

Having compared opinions of scientists, E. P. Ivanyan comes to a conclusion that the most suitable point of view on default is O. B. Akimova's position. In the works of this researcher "the value of default corresponds to language values of uncertainty and ambiguity. O. B. Akimova assumes that binary language value of knowness- unknowness is the cornerstone of semantics of definiteness-uncertainty. And semantics of knowness- unknowness is presented in the form of a graded scale, with private values, such as inaccuracy, approximateness, uncertainty, unknowness-interrogation, unknowness-hypothetical character, generality, knowness" [1, P. 7].

However in the aspect of studying default this idea of knowness- unknowness concept is too wide. E. P. Ivanyan logically comes to a conclusion that "language value of default in the Russian language is private in relation to semantics of uncertainty. In other words, the functional and semantic category of uncertainty is a basic value for semantics of default" [1, P. 8].

Professor E. P. Ivanyan compares the default phenomenon with adjacent concepts as that aposiopesis, sense lacuna, ellipsis, Aesopic speech, covert sense, veiling of a reference, silence, euphemia, lie, misinformation etc.

In the monograph default transference in the Russian language is revealed in detail. The complex analysis of all means according to various levels of language is given. Thus, E. P. Ivanyan provides the analysis of the following language means of expression of default: paralinguistic, lexical, phraseological, syntactic, graphic, and also the meaning silence. This classification of expressive means of semantics of default follows from the earlier stated information in which default was considered from the different points of view and it was compared with other language phenomena.

The undoubted advantage of chapter 1 is the striking comprehensiveness of studying of the researched phenomenon, the completeness of  information presentation which is combined with laconicism and aphoristic nature of a statement.

Chapter 2 deepens studying of means of expression of semantics of default. E. P. Ivanyan stops on features of the use of pronouns for disclosure of value of the studied phenomenon. According to professor E. P. Ivanyan, "high abstractness of pronominal value does a pronoun by specialized means of expression of semantics of default, by enciphering of information, unpleasant for interlocutors" [1, P. 73-74]. The peculiarity of the chapter is its structure connected with the gradual characteristic and the description practically of each category of pronouns.

The valuable moment of this chapter is the fact that the role of pronouns for expression of semantics of default is considered both on the example of colloquial, and on the example of literary speech.

 Important sense meaning in this chapter has the subsection connected with the characteristic of literary speech. The analysis of the Russian novels of XIX-XX centuries has shown interesting results concerning the use of a graphic transference of default. Use of italics or a discharge for default marking was the frequency phenomenon. "Graphic allocation at the same time signals about a specific use of a lexeme. <…> Graphically noted pronouns, among them mainly – personal and demonstrative pronouns are served as productive means of euphemistic use" [1, P. 154]. This way of emphasis of a pronoun as transmission of default becomes conceptually significant for creativity of "L. N. Tolstoy, F. M. Dostoyevsky, L. Leonov. Traditional font allocation isn't peculiar to the writers of ornamental prose, that it is connected both with a creative manner of the writing, and with ideological and literry intensions of the author" [1, P. 154].

Chapter 3 deepens studying the means of expression of semantics of default much more. It is devoted to a special role of indefinite pronouns. E. P. Ivanyan connects semantic features of manifestation of default by means of indefinite pronouns with their specific affixes. Professor E. P. Ivanyan builds their description according to E. V. Paducheva's classification.

Thus, in this chapter the position that "different affixes of the Russian indefinite pronouns predetermine this or that text function serving a definite purpose speaking in the act of communication, correlated to semantics of default is claimed. <…> However in the analysis of functions of indefinite pronouns with different affixes it is impossible to speak about an unambiguous ratio of an affix of indefinite pronouns and function for expression of semantics of default. So, the component of a hint is transferred not only by pronouns with an affix which - but also such indefinite pronouns as somebody, someone, some, one" [1, P. 156].

Summarizing everything, we will emphasize the main, from our point of view, advantages of the reviewed monograph.

First, it is a comprehensive approach to the studied material. This work is fine synthesis of all existing approaches to understanding of default. Moreover, the deepest author's analysis of the phenomenon of default through a prism of different views is carried out. The only full concept forming comprehensive idea of default that brings, undoubtedly, a big contribution to the development of the theory of default, taboo words and euphemisation is created.

Secondly, the deep analysis of the language material at different levels of the language is carried out. Also the role of a separate word in the text, and a role of a concrete affix in detection of semantics of default is analysed. Besides, also extra language material has undergone research, in particular the specific role of graphic allocation of words in a context as means of expression of semantics of default is revealed.

Thirdly, undoubted logicality of results presentation of the conducted research is given. The whole monograph is constructed on continuous and gradual deepening of studying of a phenomenon of default. Since acquaintance to already available concepts containing general idea about default and finishing with scrupulous detection of features of a separate language unit.

And, at last, fourthly, impressive scale of language material coverage. Language examples from various sources and even from various spheres of the language use are presented in the monograph. From informal conversation, newspapers and magazines to literary texts of the Russian novels.

This monograph lets know the reader that not only the word is capable to transfer information, thoughts, feelings, but also lack of the word, i.e. default, becomes the significant phenomenon in the course of speech communication.

Список литературы

  • Ivanyan E. P. Semantics of default and means of its expression in the Russian language / E. P. Ivanyan. – Moscow : FLINT, 2015. – 328 p.