Functioning of the speech genre of request in the discourse of the dialect language personality

The article considers the speech genre of request within the framework of the study of the speech culture of the dialect speakers of the Middle Ob region. The features of its functioning were analyzed using the methods of linguopersonology -the study of speech of a specific language personality typical of this society. The article is based on the author’s recordings of spontaneous speech of a Siberian peasant woman, collected for over 24 years. The analysis of the informant’s discursive practice shows that the speech genre of request functions in the domestic sphere, the ethical sphere and the sphere of customs and rituals. Each of the spheres differs in the composition of the addressees of request and their intentions, language means and methods of their use. The informant’s speech is dominated by requests from the domestic sphere with an appeal for help in the interests of the addresser. They are diverse in the variety of grammatical constructions, etiquette formulas and tactics that soften the categorical imperative with appropriate markers. The addressees of such requests are relatively homogeneous: these are fellow villagers, relatives, acquaintances from the city. Requests in the ethical sphere imply a motive in favor of not only the addresser, but also the addressees - close relatives. These are exhortations that represent the norms of personal behavior and at the same time take into account the interests of the partner. They may be related to monetary settlements (requests to accept money for purchases), situations perceived by the addresser as dangerous (requests to abandon bad habits) or potentially conflictual (requests for apologies). Such requests are expressed by poorer sets of grammatical forms and motive softening tactics, but “negative requests” (e.g., do not buy, do not drink, do not be offended, etc.) and emotional statements are widely represented. Requests in the sphere of customs and rituals are related to the area of the sacred in traditional culture. They have heterogeneous addressees (real persons, pagan and Orthodox characters) and intentions of the requester (requests for alms, blessings, forgiveness, care, treats, etc.). Many texts with requests are cliched (legend, prayer, carol, etc.); they do not have etiquette formulae and the categorical softening tactics. They were partially archaized or underwent semantic transformation. The exception is the active functioning of requests at farewell in the ritual of receiving guests. Therefore, the variations of the speech genre of request recorded in the idiolect discourse in the domestic sphere reflect the living conditions and age of the dialect speaker - her ideas about what is due in the ethical sphere, traditions on the basis of which the language personality was formed in the sphere of customs and rituals. The genre under study partly allows us to reconstruct the system of values (family ties, communication, health, food, prosperity in the household) and the rules of life (following the way of one’s family, moral and religious norms, conflict-free existence) of the bearer of traditional culture. The implementation of the genre of request in the peasant woman’s speech is evidence of effective speech interaction that supports communicative balance in traditional rural communities, and an obvious example of a high level of speech culture of a dialect language personality. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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