Stylistics as a branch of linguistic science

The term stylistics is derived from the word «style». The word style goes back to the Latin word «stilos». The Romans called thus a sharp stick used for writing on wax tablets. It was already in Latin that the meaning of the word «stilos» came to denote not only the tool of writing, but also the manner of writing. With this new meaning the word was borrowed into European languages.

What does stylistics deal with?

Every native speaker knows that there exist different ways of expressing people's attitude towards phenomena of objective reality; there are different variants of expressing similar, though not quite identical ideas. Moreover, one can state the existence of different systems of expression within the general system of national language. This fact conditions the existence of stylistics and constitutes its proper object.

Stylistics, then, is a branch of linguistics dealing with variants, varieties of linguistic expression and, hence, with the subsystems making up the general system of language.

These sub-systems are created by extra-lingual factors but at the same time they have linguistic contents, i.e. they differ lingually from one another. Being itself a system of signs, language may be subdivided into parallel sub-systems, synonymous to one another. For example, special sub-systems are made up by:

1) neutral type of linguistic intercourse;

2) sub-standard (i.e. lying below the standard) type;

3) super-standard (high-flown, solemn or official) type.

To these three sub-systems the following three synonymous sentences may be referred:

1. The old man is dead.

2. The old bean has kicked the bucket.

3. The gentleman well advanced in years has attained the
termination of his terrestrial existence.

Everybody understands the linguistic distinctions of different, but synonymous ways of expressing the similar idea.

The ultimate aim of stylistics is to establish the objective laws and practical rules of using proper linguistic forms in proper situations - to find out which form among the multitude of synonymous linguistic means conforms to the given extralingual circumstances.

On the whole, stylistics is, in a broad sense, the investigation of synonymous linguistic means for the purpose of finding out their spheres of applicability.

Stylistics resembles the so called dialectology. This branch of linguistics studies territorial variants of the national language. Stylistics studies social variants of the language - such variants as are used mostly not by different people (as in the case with dialects), but by the same person in different social situations.

Since the sub-systems used in different types of speech may ililTer from one another in every respect - phonetically, lexically, morphologically, syntactically and semantically - stylistics is connected with all corresponding branches of linguistics - with phonetics, morphology, lexicology, syntax and semasiology. Since stylistics is interested in all the aspects of language, it should be subdivided into the same branches as linguistics in general, to wit:

■ stylistic semasiology;

■ stylistic lexicology;

■ stylistic syntax;

■ stylistic phonetics.

Stylistics, with all its subdivisions, reveals a peculiar approach towards language: it compares the sub-systems for the purpose of finding out the so-called styles.

What is style?

Every type of speech uses its own lingual sub-systems: not all the forms comprising the national language but only a certain number of forms.

Every sub-system consists of:

a) linguistic units common to all the sub-systems;

b) specific linguistic units, to be found only in the given subsystem.

It is self-evident that sub-systems differ from one another by their specific spheres alone, because their non-specific spheres coincide. Hence, specific spheres differentiating the sub-systems (and, ultimately, types of speech) may be called their styles, or, style may be defined as the specific sphere of the given sub-system. Roughly speaking, style is a complex of lexical, grammatical, etc. peculiarities by which a certain type of speech is characterized.

Every linguistic unit, along with the meaning, has its stylistic value which may be characterized as connotation (i.e. additional meaning). The connotation of a linguistic unit is just what we think of it as belonging either to the specific sphere of a certain sub­system or to the non-specific sphere common to all the sub­systems. Hence, stylistic value is actualized by means of associations, namely:

■ linguistic units that are used everywhere cause no definite associations with any particular type of speech. Thus, they have no definite stylistic value and are called stylistically neutral;

■ linguistic units belonging to the specific sphere of a subsystem are mentally associated with that sphere. They are stylistically coloured.

 

LECTURE 2

STYLISTIC SEMASIOLOGY

Stylistic semasiology is a part of stylistics which investigates stylistic phenomena in the sphere of semantics, i.e. in the sphere of meanings, regardless of the form of linguistic units. As distinct from stylistic lexicology or stylistic syntax which deal with words and sentences, stylistic semasiology makes meaning the object of its investigation.

But some limitations to the object are to be borne in mind. Non-stylistic semasiology studies meanings. As concerns stylistic semasiology it is not so much the meaning itself that is investigated but the rules and laws of shifts of meanings; the patterns according to which meanings are shifted or either various combinations thus producing a certain stylistic effect. Stylistic semasiology also studies stylistic functions of shifts of meanings and of certain combinations of meanings.

Stylistic phenomena effected by various shifts of meanings are usually termed «figures of speech».