Context in finding out variative fuctions of communicative phraseological units (on the basis of modern English)

In modern linguistics of one of the most current problems is the problem of definition of functions of phraseological units (further PU) in the speech and their differentiation. Proverbs of modern English which are considered in our work as the communicative phraseological units (CPU), and their reduced speech variations or derivatives, which pass into language eventually, have served as an object of this research, being enshrined in dictionary entries and accompanied with the corresponding definitions. The phraseological theory of the outstanding linguist, specialist in the phraseology of modern English A.V. Kunin - stated in his doctoral dissertation, his monograph "English Phraseology" in his two manuals for students and in a number of his articles dedicated to phraseological asymmetry, phraseological context, phraseological configuration and phraseological semantics - is chosen as the scientific base of our research. In the research of proverbial phraseology we proceed from the definition of phraseological unit given by A.V. Kunin and his understanding of a proverb as an actually phraseological unit having a sentence structure. The theoretical base of work is supported also with the concept of a phraseological context and is guided by the concept of occasional transformations of phraseological units offered by Anita S. Naciscione. During the research a number of methods of the linguistic analysis is used, namely: method of phraseological identification, method of phraseological description, method of contextual analysis. This research is aimed at identification of variable functions of communicative phraseological units and their communicative variations or derivatives in modern English. Being guided by the classical concept of a phraseological context, we analyze the use of the English communicative phraseological units and their contextual variations and we reveal a number of the CPU functions. The results of the research allow us to find out four semantic and three pragmatic functions of communicative phraseological units. To a number of the CPU semantic functions we rank the following ones: a) the personifying function indicating the subject that is named by a certain phraseological unit, b) the temporary function indicating time of relevant action concerning the moment of a speech situation, the scene of action or the person of speaking, c) the spatial function indicating where there was an action concerning the moment of a speech situation, the scene of action or the person of speaking, d) causative function, i.e. the function of designation of the reason which has caused an action or a state which is expressed by the phraseological unit. To a number of pragmatic functions of the reduced communicative phraseological units and their prototypes we rank the following ones: a) stylistic function which consists in the focusing of language means for achievement of stylistic effect when saving the general intellectual contents of a statement, b) cumulative function which of all phraseological units is most of all peculiar to proverbs as they, being the language unit, which have resulted from accumulation of life experience, are capable to reflect this experience by means of realization in the speech in the form of advice, cautions, condemnations, approvals, etc., c) evaluative function which represents the objective-subjective or subjective-objective relation of the person to an object expressed by language means explicitly or implicitly. As a result of a research we come to a conclusion that the following factors exert impact on the definition of the set of functions of communicative phraseological units and their nominative and communicative variants: a) expressional potential of components of phraseological units, b) the stylistic means and devices which are the cornerstone of phraseological units, c) the extra-linguistic phenomena which are expressed or described by phraseological units, d) occasional variability of the form of phraseological units, e) a contextual environment in which there is an updating of phraseological unit. The research shows that the context of phraseological unit is the defining factor in the establishment of the set of its functions. By means of studying of a contextual environment it becomes possible to find additional functions of communicative phraseological units and their variants and derivatives as the context influences their value, implication and structure. The context specifies semantic shades of multiple-valued phraseological units and phraseological units homonyms. In a context the phraseological unit, being exposed to occasional and stylistic changes, opens the new sides of value that is the generally acknowledged, but superficially studied fact in phraseology. In this regard the greatest interest is represented by the variable functions of phraseological units promoting identification of the features of their value that can be prospect of this research.

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