Borzenko Ekaterina

Semantic and pragmatic differences between denominal and deadjectival comparatives with the same root in the contemporary Russian speech (жизнее and жизненнее, травее and травянистее etc.)

Abstract

The modern Russian language possesses a considerable number of occasional word-forms, among them non-standard degrees of comparison. These can derive from relative and possessive adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, particles, predicative expressions and nouns. The paper examines comparatives derived from nouns: жизнее, травее, докторее etc. Such forms occur quite regularly. We have registered in Russian Internet texts 89 comparatives derived from 200 most frequent Russians nouns. The denominal comparative has two semantic varieties. Firstly, it can highlight a certain property out of all properties designated by a noun and point to its intensity. In this case it serves as an expressive synonym of the deadjectival comparative (жизнее — жизненнее). Secondly, the denominal comparative can have semantics which is unusual for the deadjectival comparative: it increases the intensity of the entire range of qualities related to a noun. In such cases, the denominal comparative cannot be a synonym to the corresponding deadjectival comparative. Denominal comparatives occur in spheres of the Russian language as diverse as colloquial speech, fi ction, opinion journalism as well as in children’s language and in dialects. They may originate from the remote past of the language, namely from the syncretism of the substantive and the adjective which originally were a syncretic noun. In contemporary Russian texts, denominal comparatives are regarded as elements of the language play. They add emotion and expression as well as replace more awkward patterns.

Keywords

morphogenesis, degrees of comparison, comparative degree, nonstandard comparative, denominal comparative, occasionalism, neologism, language play, noun semantics, adjectival semantics, syncretism of noun and adjective

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Information about the author

Borzenko Ekaterina