Deminutyvų seka ir funkcionavimas tekste

ACTA LINGUISTICA LITHUANICA XLVI (2002), 59-71 Deminutive sequence and functioning in the text In the Lithuanian linguistic tradition, diminutives are described as an expressive device belonging to the domain of stylistics. Diminutives are often used in combination with their basic nouns. The two can be used in immediate juxtaposition or be separated from each other. The diminutive may either precede or follow the basic word, and sometimes the two patterns are combined. The examples (from the concordance compiled by the Centre of Computational Linguistics of Kaunas University and from literary and publicistic writing) reveal four functions of diminutives, two of them basic (specifying and evaluative), and two secondary (aesthetic and cohesion-- enhancing- ). A diminutive can perform several functions at the same time. The above-mentioned functions can also receive various degrees of emphasis, depending on the position of the diminutive, the type of diminutive and its referential status. Sometimes these properties are additionally marked by other linguistics devices. 0. IVADAS The diminutive —“a word of minor, gracious and generally emotional meaning, made with a special suffix” (Gaivenis, Keinys 1990: 46) —is a typical Lithuanian means of characterizing people, animals, objects, and conveying feelings. Various shades of the meaning of deminutive verbs are particularly pronounced in folk tales: this was already noted by L. Rēza (1825), later these verbs were discussed by B. Sruoga (1927), A. Piročkinas (1974: 208-210) and others. K. Aleksynas analyzed the use of diminutives in Lithuanian folk songs in the most detailed way (1971: 7-300). Lithuanian linguists focus mainly on mazybiniu (maloniniy) word formation (see Ulvydas, ed. 1965: 253-288; Jakaitienė et al. 1976: 262; Urbutis 1978: 270, 288; Paulauskienė 1994: 65-66; Ambrazas, ed. 1996: 87-94; Keinys 1999: 51-53; LKE 1999: 130). A. Gudavičius (2000: 124-139) emphasizes the deminutive axiological aspect. The deminutives are particularly relevant for scholars studying the problems of stylistics. Understandably, more attention is paid to diminutive vedas in those languages where they are used more frequently, more diversely, where their role in the texts is more prominent. For example, Polish linguists classify deminutive as a stylistic system of language (Milewski 1976: 124—125), while in the large encyclopedic dictionary of stylistics in English (Wales 1990), which includes over six hundred terms, the term DEMINUTIVE is not used at all. In this respect, Lithuanian is much closer to Polish. As a phenomenon of the language stylistic system minor (ma- 60 | JURGITA MACIENĖ its) are discussed in J. Pikčilingis’s “Stylistical Analysis of Lithuanian Language” (Pikčilingis 1975: 30pp.). The term DEMINUTIVE is even included in the small (forty-two words) explanatory dictionary of stylistic terms of a school textbook (see Župerka 2001: 115). Both literary scholars and linguists emphasize the importance of diminutive words for the expression of thought, but about the functions of deminutives in the text there is only one more remark, one more consideration', so this article aims to discuss the functioning of deminutives in the text in more detail. In the text, the deminutive derivative is often found in the same or adjacent sentence with its base word. For example: : Probably I looked stupid and strange in front of the buzzing cars and carriages KUNCKK 302; Ašara dreamed that she was awakened by footsteps. Very very small steps IVANMV 5; —Aaaaaa! Aaaaaa! Cut her leg off! Cut her leg off! Aaaaaa! 48. Elsewhere, the Vedas mentioned are used in subsequent sentences, even in other paragraphs. For example: : Well, let's say our Vincuk writes a love letter... <... > —Thank you, Vincuk, for the letter RACS 69. In cases where the deminutives clearly link the text, the text linguistic terms CONTACTIVE POSITION and DISTANT POSITION can be used to describe the distance between the base word and the deminutive derivative; e.g.: “Connection is CONTACTIVE (close), when sentences are connected next to each other <...>, and DISTANT (far away), when the switches are only mentioned in subsequent sentences, in another paragraph or even further away” (Sirtautas, Grenda 1988: 188; see also Sirtautas 2001: 47). Not all linguists define the terms CONTACTIVE and DISTANT ASSISTANCE so specifically, comment precisely and in detail. M. Nekula (2000: 685) presents the following concept of the concepts: “Anaphorically it is possible to indicate the preceding element, used next to or almost next to (CONTACT LINKING), or an element that does not precede the reference immediately (DISTANT LINKING)”. But plg. J. Hrbaček- ’s definition (Hrbaček 1994: 47): “Connection with the adjacent preceding statement is called CONTACTIVE, connection with any of the previously used statements is DISTANT CONNECTION”; J. Hofmannova (Hoffmannova 1997: 128) comment: “contact (between adjacent text units) and distance (between more distant text units) relations- ”. This article takes into account the distance of the deminutive derivative and its base word from each other: they are used next to or almost next to, near (contact position) or more distant (distance position). The greater the distance between the reference and the minor (pleasant) words, the more the deminutive’s linking function becomes weaker, less noticeable. 1 Some of the statements in this article were first published in the report of a scientific conference (see Macienė, Zuperka 2001: 32-35). DEMINUTIVES SEQUENCE AND FUNCTIONING IN THE TEXT |61 1. DEMINUTIVE FUNCTIONS IN THE TEXT The use of a diminutive and a co-root word or contextual substitute close to each other is not accidental — such a language “choice of means is related to pragmatic factors (values): to the situation and type of linguistic activity, to the speaker’s intentions and impact” (Hoffmannova 1997: 102), i.e. the diminutive derivative is used with some intention, it performs certain functions in the text. Speaking about the co-rooted words used next to each other, J. Buitkienė (1993: 18-22) distinguishes the structural, structural-semantic and structural-stylistic functions of these words. Deminutives are a prominent element of text style, so it is appropriate to take into account the functions of text structure performed by the style specified by stylistics specialists. K. Hausenblas (see Hausenblas 1985: 25-27) discusses four basic functions: thematic- -semantic, aesthetic, integrative and characterizing. The analyzed examples of texts and folklore, fiction, journalism show that it is possible to distinguish four functions of the use of deminutives in the text: two main functions — precising and evaluative (respectively expressive) and two additional functions — connecting the text (respectively integrative, thematic- -semantic, structural-semantic) and aesthetic; they are all often interrelated. a. TARGET FUNCTION. The deminutive derivative specifies, more clearly defines the person, animal, phenomenon, characteristic named by another word. a.a. Together with other means of language (epithets) emphasizes the smallness of the person, the smallness of the object, thinness. For example: : The hostess —a little girl, a little lady —worried about the huge Russian stove <... > PožBSD 11; <... > Raima carefully drew as if the profiles of the rings, clearly showing in stréliukém how the big ring bent at an angle from the inside and the small ring protruding at the same angle <... > IVANMV 85; From the childish vowels the thick voice of the téveli emerged KARVNBL 49. The minority of the object is emphasized by one of the syntactic figures - enumeration. For example: : She stood naked, gnashing her teeth and, in the most terrible concentration, slowly took off necklaces, beads, chains, moved countless bracelets and rings IVANMV 13. a.b. It shows the person's youth, immaturity. For example: : Soon came the brothers —Stasiukas and Jonukas KARVNBL 12. Sometimes, the above-mentioned features are highlighted by a more precise name of the young animal, epithets denoting immaturity, used near the deminutive. For example: : She recently brought ériuky’ and so that the lambs in the old barn would not freeze, the father brought them all to the barn. Lambs small, with curly wool, long, thin, unstable legs JUKNŠ 57. 2 When deminutives are understood in a narrow sense, they do not include terms with minor prepositions (see Kniūkšta 2001: 551). 62 | JURGITA MACIENĖ A particularly prominent corrective function of deminutives is when the same denotative (referent) is named by two words derived with deminutive suffixes, and between those words a hyperonym (generic name) and hyponym (species name) relationship is formed. For example: : He took the animals home and locked them in a metal tub. <...> Pampering, stroking wipes leaves grew incredibly fast MALM b. 34. EVALUATION FUNCTION. The deminutive indicates, emphasizes the speaker- 's attitude to the subject or addressee. b.a. Reveals the value of a person, thing, positive attitude of the speaker. For example: : For me they were not long, they could not be long, grandparents —daddy and mom— did everything that my parents had to do in my little life T. Expression is actualized by the use of two names of the same thing next to each other, the contrast, often even the emphasis on their opposition. For example: : It is not flour, it is meal (happy that the flour is fine) LKZ 195 VIII 2 A pleasant evaluation is especially emphasized when the grading figure is used, the speaker- 's feelings are strengthened. For example: "Sister," he speaks in a weak voice. —Sister... good... Sister... merciful- ... most beautiful of all... KAUKMG 5. b.b. Emphasizes the pettyness of the object, the negative attitude of the speaker. For example: : Artiese creek. What a stream there — a string to the ditch KARCR 8 dug in the days of Smetona by the winter warriors; <... > built this house instead of a wooden campfire, furnished it luxuriously, modern BUIVLN 8; Juozas Strodomskis drove from Vilnius to Padurupio village (there is such a small village in the Kelmės district, in the vicinity of Tytuvėnai, where only two farms remained) <...> T. Sometimes the irony is even more emphasized. For example: : For example, it turned out that the municipality's book of citizens' statements is not an official document, but just some kind of book LR 2000 02 07. Pettyness and irony are particularly evident when gradation is used. For example: : K. Ignotas, the chief, stamped his seal, Rumšas, the elder, stamped his stamp, signed by “honest witnesses” <...> RAMRK 14. DEMINUTIVES SEKA IR OPERATIONS TEXT |63 To reproach, condemn, ironize, such — use of deminutives is particularly common nowadays, when there is a tendency to lower the style, to devalue pleasant, gentle words. Šį the fact is confirmed ir by the analyzed examples, most often found in the work of contemporary writers*. c. AESTHETIC FUNCTION. The deminutive is used when the most important thing is stylistic dissimulatiot. y. n, the unwillingness to repeat tą the word itself in the text. For example: : <... > Vika even flapped her tongue, so before she — put me in here, aunt recited a whole monologue about mother's love Shakespeare would have exploded with jealousy — iš IVANMV 229. This function was observed in one long ir sentence in several ar adjacent sentences, where the deminutive derivative and the base word contextual substitution ar occupy a distant position, linking the text. For O example: when the jo snow began to rub the colt's thigh, the sleigh stopped on ir the slippery su bone paddles of the animal's ribs and iš thighbones, like a sleigh ir that has been beaten into the colt's — thigh, no use, maybe ir only that it does not freeze itself SALTKV 10; <... > brought him ir bananas, ir chewing gum, candy, if ir ne — the boy ją was flushing out. The crazy naughty boy was T. The aesthetic function of the deminutive is often associated su with the evaluative function. d. THE TEXT LINKING FUNCTION. Sometimes a deminutive, used with its su base word or contextual substitute, occupying a distant position, performs a ir linking function of the text. For example: : It would be true that all empresses (occupants ir occupants) act like a grandmother in an Irish joke? Son complains to doctor that jo mother doesn't eat anything T. As can be seen, the associative function of the diminutive text is often associated with other functions, su such as the jo evaluative. Sometimes, deminutive vedics can perform all four functions in context. In the Lithuanian folk play “Žąselės” the wolf speaks in diminutives, the goose does not: Goose goes to 0 the wolf and — asks: ir | — Wolf, are ką you working here? /— The wolf answers, — "A hole." | — What's ta the hole for? | — I'll take Ugnela. Excessive use of deminutives characterizes the wolf as a pretender (valuative function), wanting to attract geese, therefore speaking with diminutive pleasant words (obviously, DEMINUTIVE — NON-DEMINUTIVE is a distinct, emphasized speech of the actors). The deminutive dimple may have a ir corrective purpose to — indicate the real size. Initial with deminutive derivative ir jo the reference word, the stylistic disimi3 Į šį the author of the article was kindly drawn to prof. Habil. Dr. R. Koželuh. Changes in the trends of diminutive use would be an interesting subject of further research. 64 | JURGITA MACIENĖ liation (aesthetic function), and one thought is linked to another as a theme and a rhyme (the connecting function of the text). 2. ORDER OF DEMINUTIVES IN THE TEXT After analyzing the collected material, it was noted that deminutives perform different functions when they occupy different positions in the text in relation to reference words or contextual synonyms, substitutions. There are three ways of using deminutives: postpositional, prepositional and combination of two deminutives. 2.1. Postpositional use of the deminutive Examples selected from artistic and journalistic texts and from the textbook compiled by the Computer Linguistics Center of VDU show that the most frequent use of deminutive vedic in relation to the reference word is postpositional (6996 samples collected). Thus, first a person, object, property is named by the unmarked member of the stylistic opposition, and later it is characterized, refined, evaluated by the deminutive. Of course, the deminutive derivative used postpositionally can perform other functions as well – aesthetic and text-linking. The sequence NEDEMINUTYVE —DEMINUTYVE can be supported by analogy with tautological compositions (the concept of tautology see Koženiauskienė 2001: 165-166), the second démeny of which is the deminutive of the same word, giving a shade of pleasure, tenderness (valuative function). For example: : But here are the customs and times of the people: | You give them a word a word, 0 they shout | With a necklace long thunder and cries, | I will beat...ČiGRLJVM 15; [I will cross loneliness] That the dream white as a cloud | Nighttime nights no longer cloud MACUZU 7; Lakstė Adoniukas although cleanly covered, but adorned with rags MALM 10. Sometimes the deminutive derivative defines the subject of speech more clearly, more specifically (the clarifying function). For example: : Even in the days of the late Gediminas, craftsmen invited from distant countries masonred them, decorated them with colourful glass brought from beyond the lake, covered them with towers, made curves and corners, decorated them, like a toy made by MATALV 41. Such examples are abundant in folklore, they are presented in the syntax textbooks of J. Balkevičius (1963: 433-434), V. Sirtautas and Č. Grenda (1988: 59; 112). Depending on the characteristics of the grammatical structure and syntax of the statement, related to the base word and deminutive derivative, to the notation of the same or different denotative (referent- )*, the functions performed, several cases of the usual sequence in the text are distinguished. “Denotated —that which is named by a word or marked by a sign” (Gaivenis, Keinys 1990: 46); referent —“an object of thought with which a certain linguistic expression is associated” (ibid.: 169). See also the concepts of DENOTATE and REFERENT. 1986: 49–54; Gudavičius (1994: 20). For the stylistic approach to them, see. Wales (1990: 113–114; 396–397). The base word and the deminutive derivative denote different denotations (referents) and are used in uniform sentence parts. For example: : Others and others, I will tell you, without change —carry their crosses and crosses <... > KAUKMG 180. b. The base word and the deminutive denote different denotations, the deminutive also denotes a lesser thing —acts as a corrector. However, the base word and the deminutive derivative go through different parts of the sentence. For example: <... > high crosses of thick logs —for adults, and small, broken, barely reaching the equator for children —children- 's crosses JUKNŠ 103. c. The intermediate position between the aforementioned tautologies (complexes) and homogeneous parts of the sentence is occupied by the intonation (in the text —comma) separated by the base word and deminutives, denoting the same referent. For example: —Oh, my God, my little one, —Grigalius touched the cut lip with his tongue <... > BUBNTTA 240; —Gods, little gods... —the old MATALV 50 lamented; —Unfortunately, Miss, I know little of your chosen one, but, being in the place of that mother, I would have grabbed her by the head and screamed: oh, woe, woe, for what you have laid such a heavy cross on my single girl... IVANMV 230. (The latter example sounds like an imitation of folklore, a stylized ancient lament.) The constructive gradation is used, the emotional coloration is strengthened, the diminutive performs an evaluative function. d. The base word and the deminutive denote the same referent, but occupy different syntactic positions. The base word is used as a single point of the place name, and the deminutive derivative identifies the person. For example: : One night a woman is brought to the children's ward with a small, well-grown child JUKNS 62; But the same is true, for example, of Arimų street, where there is not a single piece of cultivated land, <... > or Dzūkų street, where you will not meet a single real little guy... RACKSI 54-55. In the latter sentence, a kind of word play appears, when different things (denotates) are named by an etymological figure — a repetition of the word root to reinforce the semantic power of the word (cf. Koženiauskienė 2001: 277), while the deminutive derivative performs an aesthetic function. e. The base word and the deminutive denote the same denotative (or at least the referent- ), they are used in adjacent sentences, more distant from each other, occupy a distant position. It is possible to see the connecting function of the deminutive, like other co-rooted words, synonyms, etc., in the text: “Thus, the root, repeating in related words, repeats in sentences, combining them into a larger linguistic unit — the text” (Buitkienė 1993: 17). For example: : Elizabeth twisted the threads of the curtains and approached the windows of the cloudy meadow plain <... >. As she folded the leaves neatly, she looked again at the whole house <... > 66 | JURGITA MACIENĖ JUKNŠ 160; A POPULAR WORD - CORRUPTION. He completely replaced the word of lower value and similar size —bribe, bribery LM 1993 03 06; But maybe yours [car — J. M.] would fit new tires? <... > win a set of new tires SN 2001 02 17. f. The NEDEMINUTIVE —DEMINUTIVE sequence has also been observed in those cases where, next to the naming of the previous object, the subsequent text uses not its diminutive derivative, but the contextual substitution of the diminutive of another word of similar meaning. 2011. "Brother, how did you grow up like that —/Vibrant, pure, all enlightened?". 25; Three Poor Crying Children SRUOGRI 48. There is a hyperonymic and hyponymic relationship between the non-deminutive and the deminutive. For example: : The first person I met was a small woman POzBSD 153; The father took the child in his arms: | —Here is our home, Benuti APUTDA 7. First, a word with a broader meaning is used, a general picture is drawn, in which details are not distinguished. The deminutive derivative is used to name a specific object more precisely, to detail the image, and to perform a corrective function. g. In the case of hyperonym — hyponym relationship, NEDEMINUTIVAS —DEMINUTIVAS acquires an emotional connotation, i.e. deminutive derivatives perform an evaluative function. For example: : A master of “such things” was found, some paramedic who likes to play with the airplane <... > JONUŠKDS 7; A doorbell wakes up the mumified winter caretaker on the ninth floor of a block in Kone —a girl from the welfare service who has been admitted sprays the old man’s eyes with a liquid smelling of olives <... > KuUNCKK 6. h. Sometimes the deminutive derivative is far removed from the first word in its meaning, especially when the deminutive is used in a figurative sense, they are understood as synonyms only in a specific context. For example: : Sun —that cheerful red lady VILRO 122; <... > threw into the trash can the whole collection of syringes that Aro was so proud of and kept saying —“if Rick Wakeman can collect Rolls-Royces, why can’t I have at least those little cars” IVANMV 207. In the latter example, the deminutive mašinytės is used both in the literal sense when describing rolls-roys and in the figurative sense when referring to syringes. This use of the diminutive avoids the monotony of the language, the minor (pleasant) word performs an aesthetic function. 2.2. Prepositional use of the deminutive There are cases (3196 collected examples) where the base word and its deminutive derivative are arranged in the text in the opposite order, i.e. the deminutive comes first. In this case, the diminutive usually performs an aesthetic function, since the repetition of the same word is avoided. DEMINUTIVES SEKA IR OPERATIONS TEXT | 67 In poetry, the opposite sequence of components is chosen for rhyme and rhythm. For example: : Where is the home? 167. By changing the deminutive and the base word, the meaning of the sentence remains the same, ta there are no new stylistic nuances. Tą the same referent DEMINUTIVO — NEDEMINUTIVO sequence is chosen when repeating exactly the same word is avoided, t. y. the principle of stylistic dissimulation. For example: : Attached to the door a heart made iš of oak leaves, covered with white chamomile, a red peony in the curve of į the heart <... > YOUKNŠ 98; He sits at the stove and fires the logs. The door of the furnace opened, yellow reflections of fire plasa on the wall <... > 107. Su the aesthetic function is sometimes associated ir with the evaluative function. For example: : The earth is ir inhabited by people animals. Iš of all animals I love the little lambs most The 122. sequence found in the landscape of ViLRO Žemaitė “Petro — Kurmelis- — ”: sun sun before — sun sun — before sun ZEMPK 45-46. When a deminutive derivative ir reference word denotes different referents (denotates), the aesthetic and corrective functions of the deminutive are emphasized. For example: : , [can't say] That I ir gave him a line / At least a fibre, like a fibre of linen STRIELKEN 26; Ji climbed down the ladder, opened the chamber, ir began to carry out į wooden racks, a bucket, a huge rack YOUKNŠ 162. DEMINUTIVE — The NEDEMINUTIVO sequence is ir observed when the two words have different roots, when they become synonyms only in a specific context. Context synonyms denote different referents. For example: : Making our own paths / (With the knees was still a jacket...) | Survived į guests little | Du dinosaurs SKUČLS 20. A non-deminutive expression is a slightly broader expression than a deminutive, už which performs a corrective function. The deminutive performs an evaluative function when the concept expressed by non-deminutive substitution is somewhat more jo precise. Tą contextual synonyms denoting the same referent are used (almost) next to each other in the same or adjacent sentences, occupy a contact t. y. position. For example: :