Bulletin of Yerevan University H: Russian Philology
The "Bulletin of Yerevan University. Russian Philology " is a scientific periodical devoted to a wide range of problems of Russian literature and the Russian language. The journal publishes previously unreleased studies on the theory and history of the Russian language and literature, Russian-Armenian and Russian-foreign language linguistic and literary contacts, comparative and typological study of languages and literatures, on translation problems, as well as the problems of the theoretical linguistics and literary theory.
From Decadent Aestheticism to Religious-Mystical Dialectics: The Axiology of Early Russian Symbolism
The article examines the specificity of the artistic development of the motif of good and evil in the poetry of early Russian Symbolism. It analyzes the main axiological models characteristic of the “decadent” (“diabolical”) stage of Symbolism, associated with the aestheticization and relativization of ethical categories, as well as the subsequent tendency toward their religious and mystical reinterpretation. The research material comprises poetic texts by V. Bryusov, K. Balmont, F. Sologub, N. Minsky, Z. Gippius, and A. Blok. The analysis draws on the most representative texts, which, on the one hand, make it possible to trace the main directions of the artistic interpretation of the problem of good and evil in early Russian Symbolism, and, on the other hand, reveal the specificity of each poet’s individual artistic world. The focus is on the dynamics of the transition from aesthetically motivated ambivalence of values to attempts at their dialectical overcoming within the framework of religious-philosophical models of synthesis. The material under study is interpreted in the context of Symbolist aesthetics oriented toward the rethinking of traditional Christian axiology and the formation of alternative models of value thinking characteristic of the poetic culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Special attention is paid to the functioning of stable image-motif structures associated with the figures of God and the Devil. As a result of the analysis, both general tendencies and individual authorial strategies of artistic representation of the motif of good and evil in early Russian Symbolism are identified.
Copyright (c) 2026 Author(s) ant the Journal Bulletin of Yerevan University H: Russian Philology https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Historical Commentary on Idioms Containing the Word ‘War’
The article examines phraseological units of the modern Russian language containing the component war from historical-etymological and semantic perspectives. The military sphere, which for centuries has exerted a significant influence on public consciousness, has become one of the key sources of metaphorization and the formation of stable expressions that function actively beyond strictly military discourse. The aim of the study is to identify the historical sources of phraseological units containing the component war, to analyze their origin, borrowing paths, and semantic transformations, as well as to describe the specific features of their usage in contemporary language. The research material includes data from phraseological dictionaries, the Russian National Corpus, as well as examples from literary and journalistic texts of various historical periods. The study employs methods of continuous sampling, contextual analysis and historical-etymological analysis. As a result of the research, it has been established that phraseological units of military origin were formed in different historical epochs; some of them were borrowed from Latin, French, and English, while the majority gradually lost their narrowly specialized military semantics and acquired figurative, universal meanings. The article demonstrates that these phraseological units preserve cultural and historical memory and are actively used in modern Russian to describe social, political, psychological and everyday situations.
Modern Processes of Terminologization and Determinologization in the Context of Digital Technology Development
Dynamic changes in all spheres of social life, caused by the emergence and development of digital technologies, have also affected the language of science, significantly impacting the processes of terminologization and determinologization. This article examines these two interconnected processes using the example of psychological terminology, which, for several reasons, remains insufficiently studied from a linguistic perspective to this day. Since the type of scientific rationality influences the terminological apparatus of a particular field of knowledge, the psychological terminology system is closely related to general literary vocabulary. This explains the fact that a significant number of psychological terms consist of words that have undergone semantic conversion and acquired new, terminological content. On the other hand, psychological terms easily penetrate everyday communication, particularly internet discourse, creating a new linguistic reality that requires further study. This defines the relevance of the research. The article considers semantic transformations that a language unit undergoes when moving from general vocabulary to a language for specific purposes as a result of semantic conversion, and explores the reverse process – the determinologization of terms. In this regard, the question arises concerning the possibility of connotative use of terms, which is considered an open area for research in terminology studies. Examples of term usage in everyday communication, specifically in social networks and pop psychology, are analyzed.
Referential Specificity of the Definite Pronouns иной and другой
The article examines the referential characteristics of the Russian pronouns иной and другой and attempts to revise their functional status. Traditionally classified as definite ones, these lexemes function as markers of qualitative indefiniteness in actual discourse. The study posits that the relevance of these pronouns lies in the non-correspondence of the referent to the speaker's expectations. Based on reference theory, the concept of the "Other" (in both philosophical and linguistic aspects), and the opposition between denotative and significative meanings, the paper argues that the core semantic component of иной and другой is the expression of discrepancy. The author proposes a model of two sets: М1 (correspondence) and М2 (non-correspondence). The research demonstrates that indefiniteness arises not from the absence or anonymity of the referent, but from its assignment to the potentially infinite set М2. Furthermore, a functional asymmetry is identified: другой tends toward denotative function and substantivization ("not this one"), whereas иной realizes a significative function (qualitative characterization — "not such") and acts primarily as a predicate. The informative insufficiency of these pronouns is confirmed by their regular cataphoric use and compatibility with intensifiers (совсем), allowing them to be classified as non-prototypical tools for expressing qualitative indefiniteness in the Russian language. In certain contexts, these means of expressing indefiniteness possess greater expressive power than standard indefinite pronouns.
Problems of the Comparative Study of the Works of Alexander Blok and Andrei Bely
The article is dedicated to the 145th anniversary of the births of Alexander Blok and Andrei Bely and examines the current state of research on the comparative study of the works of these two prominent representatives of Russian Symbolism. The aim of the study is to systematize the main directions in the scholarly reception of the poets’ interrelations and to identify prospects for further research. In the context of this problem, the article reconstructs the dynamics of scholarly reception of the connections between Blok and Bely: from early 20th-century interpretations that laid the foundations of the comparative approach, through ideologically conditioned interpretations in Soviet literary scholarship, to contemporary studies focused on analyzing various forms of creative interaction between the two authors. It is shown that early works were primarily aimed at identifying shared worldview and poetic principles of the two authors. During the Soviet period, interpretations of the relationship between Blok and Bely were largely subordinated to ideological constraints, which led to an emphasis on personal conflicts and an uneven assessment of the poets’ creative legacies. In contemporary research, there is a noticeable shift in focus toward the analysis of specific forms of interaction, ranging from motif and imagery correspondences to epistolary dialogue and intertextual resonances. At the same time, existing studies do not form a coherent concept of the comparative study of the poets’ works. Thus, the article offers a systematized account of the logic underlying the development of research on the literary contacts between Blok and Bely, substantiating the need for further comparative analysis of their artistic evolution.
Zoonyms in Russian and Armenian Compliments
The article examines the specific functioning of the lexical-semantic group "zoonyms" in the structure of compliments in Russian and Armenian. It identifies both universal features determined by common human perception and specific national-cultural traits. Special attention is paid to the connotative meanings of words and their morphemic structure, in particular, the role of suffixes in forming additional semantic nuances. The relevance of this study stems from the need for an in-depth study of the mechanisms of metaphorization of natural objects as tools for expressing positive evaluations in different linguistic cultures. The study aims to distinguish between universal and nationally specific cognitive structures that allow the properties of living nature to be projected onto the human personality. A special place is given to the analysis of fauna as axiological reference points defining ideas about beauty, strength, and character traits. The study draws on data from phraseological dictionaries and national corpora. Using comparative, typological and semantic analysis, the author describes the key associative field of "animal world" in compliments. The analysis shows that zoonyms are used more frequently in complimentary expressions by speakers of Russian culture than by speakers of Armenian culture. In Russian, most zoonyms in complimentary expressions are used in diminutive forms. The intensive use of diminutive suffixes leads to a variety of forms for the same zoonym. Meanwhile, in Armenian compliments, possessive forms of zoonyms predominate.
The article examines negation as a multi-level structural and semantic phenomenon functioning within a hierarchically organized language system. The study aims to identify the formal and semantic manifestations of negation across five levels of natural language: the tagmatic, syntagmatic, protasematic, symprotasematic, and textematic levels. The units corresponding to these levels are, respectively, tagmic words, syntagms (word combinations), simple sentences, complex sentences and textemes. The research is based on a taxonomic approach employing clustering techniques as well as comparative and logical analyses. Within the proposed model, nuclear and perinuclear units are differentiated at each level according to the degree of their functional-semantic correlation with the logical operation of negation. The analysis of intra-level and inter-level interactions among the identified units demonstrates that, as the level of the language system increases, both structural complexity and the variability of their intersections intensify. The main body of the paper presents a detailed structural-semantic clustering of language units with regard to their level affiliation and functional relation to the category of negation. The developed theoretical taxonomic principles are empirically substantiated through representative illustrative material subjected to thorough structural and semantic analysis. The findings indicate that negation functions not only as a grammatical-semantic category but also as a system-forming mechanism ensuring semantic integrity and cohesion of linguistic units. The proposed hierarchical clustering may be considered a step toward the development of a more universal model for describing linguistic phenomena on unified scientific principles.
The Motif of Spiritual Awakening and its Implementation at the Chronotope Level in A.P. Chekhov's Short Story "The Student"
This article analyzes the motif of spiritual awakening in A.P. Chekhov's Easter story “The Student” (1894) within the context of the Gospel event of Peter's denial and its interpretation, which goes beyond its traditional meaning from the point of view of dogmatic theology and coinciding with it moral and philosophical interpretations of this Gospel event. In interpreting the work, we rely on an approach to the literary text as an open structure that allows for it to be read beyond the author's intention, but closely linked to it. In Chekhov's inclusion of the Gospel text in his work we see an intersection of various semantic codes that allow for dissimilar interpretations. Specifically, the Peter’s denial is viewed by us not only as a temporary apostasy and the manifestation of human weakness, but also as a consequence of an altered state of his consciousness. In the Gospel, it is reflected as sleep, which the disciples of Christ are not able to resist. Through that, deepens the theme of awakening in the story. In the story, we examine the problem of the human soul, searching for meaning in life and finding it through the experience of the Gospel events. In our analysis we rely on the features of the spatial and temporal organization of the text, in which we identify several forms of literary time (biographical, daily, calendar, cosmic), on the basis of which a picture of the hero's transition from a linear (horizontal) path to a spiritual vertical level is constructed.
On the Question of Typological Description of Interlinguistic Synonyms "Russian" Word Patriot: Meaning And Sense in the Mirror of Armenian Lexikal Matchings
The article is devoted to the comparative lexical-semantic and discursive analysis of the word and concept "patriot" in Russian and Armenian languages. A study of many texts with this lexeme allowed us to conclude that there are large discrepancies between the Russian word “patriot” and similar Armenian words – both in semantics, lexical paradigmatics, and in discursive properties. Thus, in the Russian language the word "patriot" does not differ in the diversity of epidigmatic and lexical-paradigmatic connections. In the Armenian language, where the word-formation model of word composition dominates, there is a fairly large number of synonyms and antonyms. The compatibility of the bases contributes to the development of recurrence of words in the synonymous series. Along with this, the synonymous series includes words with different shades of meaning, therefore, it is distinguished by high nominative density. Thus, we are presented with a rich semantic palette of the Armenian concept of "patriotism". In this multitude of semantic shades, semantic nodes stand out, which represent the general outline of the Armenian concept. The concept of “patriot” manifests itself differently in Russian and Armenian discourses. Thus, in Russian discourse, the opposition “false patriot – true patriot” is formed, which does not so much clarify the meaning of the said phrase as it gives rise to a “controversy”, “dispute” around it, and sometimes calls into question the generally accepted, dictionary understanding of what is considered true patriotism. Thus, negative connotations of the lexeme “patriot” are formed in Russian discourse and a kind of discussion is born regarding both the meaning of this word and the very understanding of patriotism. The discursive space of the Russian language in this regard is divided into two areas: an area where there is a tendency to protect this word and the concept behind it from semantic deformations, to preserve its original dictionary meaning and the “purity” of the concept, and an area where the opposite tendency is observed – to see in this word a reflection of the psychology of the perception of such a phenomenon in society, and, consequently, to “clarify” and deform its lexical meaning. This interpretation of patriotism, characteristic of Russian discourse, is not observed in Armenian, which is fundamentally different in terms of the interpretation of patriotism as a social and individual manifestation of this psychological phenomenon. The Armenian linguistic perception of patriotism remains within the framework of its canonical, traditional and stereotypical presentation as an exclusively welcomed, socially encouraged model of behavior – a manifestation of love for one’s homeland, country, people, devotion, protection of their interests and freedoms.
Contexts of Functioning of Infedinite Pronouns with –нибудь
The article examines the features of the functioning of indefinite pronouns with -нибудь. The meaning of indefiniteness is expressed by all indefinite pronouns: with –то, –нибудь, –либо, кое-, не-. However, these pronouns are not interchangeable in all cases. The choice of pronoun is influenced by various linguopragmatic factors. The article presents six main contexts in which the use of indefinite pronouns with -нибудь becomes possible: 1) sentences with probability value, 2) сonditional and interrogative sentences, 3) imperative sentences and situations related to the future plan, 4) contexts of suspended assertion and indirect negation, 5) sentences with the meaning of distributivity and multiplicity and 6) sentences with the meaning of estimation. The article examines the linguopragmatic factors that influence functioning of these indefinite pronouns. The use of indefinite pronouns with -нибудь is influenced by the presence of a meaning of an non-fixed referent. These pronouns are possible first of all in situations where the action has not been completed yet, where the probability that the action may occur is only expressed. The non-chosen, non-fixed nature of the referent makes it possible to use the pronouns we have considered in contexts with the meaning of probability, incentive to action, interrogative constructions, in situations related to the plan of the future. In contexts related to the past, the use of indefinite pronouns with -нибудь is possible only under the condition that we are talking about a multiple event, action that does not have one specific referent. Pronouns with -нибудь are capable of expressing the speaker's assessment of the object/person/phenomenon described. This is especially evident in the combination of indefinite pronouns and proper names. Contexts in which pronouns with -нибудь express the speaker's dismissive attitude are also considered.
Copyright (c) 2025 Author(s) ant the Journal Bulletin of Yerevan University H: Russian Philology https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Intertextual Analysis of A.S. Pushkin’s «I Remember a Wonderful Moment…»: on the Controversy about the Addressee
The article is devoted to the intertextual analysis of Pushkin's poem «To***» («A Magic Moment I Remember…») based on its comparison with the other poems by Pushkin and with the works of V.A. Zhukovsky, who is the author of the famous line «The genius of pure beauty». The generally accepted addressee of the poem is A.P. Kern, although this version has been repeatedly questioned. The Empress Elisaveta Alexeevna is increasingly named as the addressee. This version has been expressed many times, but for the first time we have considered it from the standpoint of the intertextual approach. The analysis of the image of the beloved, lexical structure of the several poems by Pushkin and intersections of their themes and motives, and also the features of the poet's work on the text drafts shows that the poem «To***» can be put in one row with other works that form a certain unity together and are united by the same addressee. These include «To her», «The Oak groves, where in the silence of the freedom...», «To N.Ya. P<lyuskova>», «At the beginning of my life I remember school...»). In turn, the line «The genius of pure beauty» borrowed by Pushkin from Zhukovsky introduces into the text of the poem a whole set of additional implicit meanings that do not fit into the version about Kern as its addressee. The analysis of both poets’ texts, one more time insistently shows the necessity to review to whom the poem was addressed, as well as, to include the second version into textbooks and tutorials.
Seductive Details and Expository Text Structures: an Experimental Study via Keyword Extraction
Seductive details are intriguing yet extraneous pieces of information in expository texts. Understanding their impact on text comprehension is essential for effective expository reading. The aim of the study was to examine the processing of expository texts that contain seductive details of varying significance. The significance of seductive details was evaluated based on their textual function in constructing referential and thematic structures. The study utilised three expository texts from Russian geography textbooks intended for seventh-grade students. The texts varied in significance and quantity of the seductive details included. A total of 40 seventh-grade students and 24 university students participated in the experiment, providing a diverse perspective on text comprehension. The study employed a keyword extraction method. The participants read the texts and extracted words they considered most important in terms of content. In total, 64 keyword sets were collected (n = 2,147 tokens); they presented the range of key concepts identified by participants. The participants successfully identified the main text ideas. The school students used a more concrete mode of text processing and extracted more specific keywords. The significance of the keywords depended on (i) their frequency in the text, (ii) their distribution across text sections, reflecting their impact on the elaboration, and (iii) the presence of contrast markers. The textual function of seductive details influenced the significance of the keywords extracted from them by the participants. Seductive details were interpreted by participants not only as sources of information but also as signals of significant text ideas.
Dominant in Poetic Supertextual Unit: Problem Statement
The article for the first time raises the question of the dominant in the main forms of poetic supertextual unit - in a crown of sonnets, in a lyric cycle and in a book of poems. The most important feature of the dominant in a supertextual unit is the potential possibility of its revelation at two levels: at the level of a word image and at the level of the text. The word-image dominant is based on the cross-textual repetition of a word/phrase, that is a multiple reproduction of a lexical image or its correlates in two or more texts of a given unit. The textual dominant is a poem that most fully embodies the main idea and meaning of the supertextual whole, and represents a force field that attracts many thematically and conceptually close texts that form a supertextual unit. The ideal example of a textual dominant is the master-sonnet of a crown of sonnets, which determines the structure-forming and meaning-forming system of the whole. Textual dominants in other supertextual forms can approach only to a greater or lesser extent the function performed by the master-sonnet. Unlike the crown of sonnets, the ideological and conceptual component of the lyrical cycle cannot be fully expressed in one single text, since it is generated only by the interaction of all the texts of the cyclic series, therefore no text, including the dominant one, is a full-fledged embodiment of the meanings of the whole. In the cycle, the textual dominant does not perform a genre-forming function, so the presence of a textual dominant here is an optional factor. Poetic texts included in a book of poems do not have the intensity of intertextual connections that is characteristic of a lyrical cycle. The poems of one conceptual and thematic group are scattered throughout the entire space of the book of poems, forming structurally undetermined conceptual and thematic concenters. The compositional uncertainty of the concenters causes the specificity of the textual dominant in this type of book of poems. Having no other constructive function, the textual dominant in the book of poems plays an important meaning-organizing role in the concenter.
Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s) ant the Journal Bulletin of Yerevan University H: Russian Philology https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Independent Infinitive as the Subject of Linguodidactic Study
Linguists’ interest in the indefinite form of the verb remains undiminished – this topic is still relevant today. Linguists continue to debate its functional use. The syntactic multi functionality of the independent infinitive and the resulting disagreements among linguists give rise to disputes when differentiating between impersonal and infinitive sentences. Interest in the semantics of infinitive sentences – which are diverse, multifaceted, and thus open to an expanding list of semantic groups within the system of infinitive sentences and their descriptions – doesn’t fade away. The focus of our study is the independent infinitive, which functions as the principal element in infinitive sentences. However, it is presented as a constituent of the predicative basis of impersonal sentences alongside with the dependent infinitive in all Russian and domestic school textbooks, except for the textbook by V. V. Babaitseva and L. D. Chesnokova [2023]. This is true for the so-called “school grammar”, but the “university grammar” is altogether different. The combination of infinitive sentences with impersonal ones in “school grammar” is not accidental. Indeed, they have a common syntactic feature – non-subjectivity, the incompatibility of the main infinitive member with the nominative case. However, infinitive sentences differ significantly from impersonal ones. The infinitive is a non-predicative form, but in an independent syntactic position, it becomes a carrier of predicativity, i.e., it acquires the predicative meanings of objective modality. At present, in “school grammar”, the issue of distinguishing infinitive sentences as an independent type in the system of single-component sentences has not been resolved.
Semantic Organizacion of The Synonymic Sets
The article examines the Russian and Armenian synonymic sets from the point of view of their semantic organization. We put forward a hypothesis that the basis of the semantic mechanisms for the formation of synonyms is the idea of ​​semantic patterns. Features associated with the predominance of certain patterns in a language can be considered a typological characteristic of a given language. Thus, the relevance of such a topic is due to the desire to consider the traditional problem of synonymy from a different point of view, in the context of a different scientific approach to synonymy as a semantic mechanism of identity, to the ability of a language to generate self-similar models. This approach can contribute to the development of new research methods in the field of theoretical linguistics and lexical typology. The study examines synonyms within the framework of their traditional presentation in the form of a synonymic sets and makes an attempt to describe them as a certain semantic, conceptual whole, consisting of words / meanings of words, semantic components that have a certain organization and are in certain relationships. By analogy with the semantic field, the synonymic sets also has a component or components that is obligatory for all words of the series - the semantic core, as well as a number of additional, optional semantic elements. Thus, a synonymic sets may include words with the same set of semantic components. The number of similar words indicates a low or, conversely, high degree of recurrence of synonyms with the same set of semantic components. A synonymous series as a conceptual space can include a different set of optional semantic components, that is, have a greater or lesser degree of detail in the semantic structure - different nominative density. It seems that the description of the synonymic sets from this point of view is most effective for identifying typological differences between groups of synonyms in two languages.
Semantic Field of Anger in L.N. Tolstoy’s “Father Sergius” Novel
The work examines L.N. Tolstoy’s story “Father Sergius” and the theme of anger/hot temper expressed in it. We consider the linguistic description of the topic within the framework of the concept of semantic field. Within a work of art, the semantic field shows a tendency towards expansion and contextual conditioning. Turning to the experience of scientists who have previously studied similar topics, we borrow from them the concept of a textual semantic field, which can be used as a tool for our work. We see that the semantic field as a linguistic category is capable of transformation in the text and provides material for new observation. The semantic field in a literary text goes beyond the use of its usual tools (synonymy, derivation) and acquires the transformational potential inherent in speech organics. This is the first we can see in the expansion of the field boundaries. Expansion occurs due to lexical content (unexpected to continue the field of lexemes), but also the semantic expression finds its manifestation in syntax through the techniques of tempo, intensification (frequency of use, repetition), compatibility. Anger is an important description trait of a personage. It is present in the overwhelming majority of the text. We see opportunities for highlighting this topic and considering it both in terms of filling the text (semantics, meaning, subtext, metaphors) and in terms of expression (external features of the text), which is supported by calculations and quantitative comparison. This theme coexists and intersects with other themes in the story and together creates a rich, tragically described image of human fate.
Phytonyms in Russian, Chinese and Korean Linguistic Cultures
The study of phytonyms in Russian, Chinese and Korean linguistic cultures is a comprehensive comparative analysis aimed at identifying common and specific features in the names of the flora of these languages. This work aims at a comprehensive analysis of the influence of natural and climatic conditions, cultural traditions, worldview and mentality of native speakers on the formation of phytonyms in these linguistic cultures. The structure of the study includes a detailed review of phytonyms in each of the languages under consideration, an analysis of the features of their use in linguistic practice and symbolic significance in the culture of the corresponding ethnic group. Special attention is paid to identifying universal and unique features in plant names due to the specifics of the natural environment, economic activity, religious beliefs, mythology and folklore. The conclusions of the work emphasize the need for further in-depth study of phytonyms in the language system and in the cultural context, since this lexical group is a valuable source of information about the worldview, value orientations and cultural dominants of the ethnic group. The results of the study show that phytonyms can express not only the real, objective characteristics of plants, but also associative, culturally determined meanings reflecting the specifics of the national mentality and worldview. The results obtained can be applied in the theory and practice of intercultural communication, in teaching Russian, Chinese and Korean as foreign languages, as well as in lexicographic practice in compiling specialized dictionaries of phytonymic vocabulary.
Lexicographical Analysis of Russian and Armenian Synonymous Series with the Semantic Component ‘High’
The article is devoted to a comparative typological analysis of synonymous series with the semantic component ‘high’ in the Russian and Armenian languages. Such an analysis helps to identify deep meaning-generating processes that influence the semantic organization of synonymous series, as well as to describe the linguocultural and lexico-typological features of two Indo-European languages ​​- Russian and Armenian. Research methods such as lexicographic analysis of synonymous series and application of dictionary entries of dominant lexemes make it possible to identify semantic components and semantic nodes in the structure of the lexical meaning of the group of words under study. Identification and description of such features of lexemes can become a starting point in further research into the lexical-typological and linguistic-cultural characteristics of the two languages. As a result of our lexicographic analysis of Russian and Armenian synonymic series with the semantic component ‘high’, we came to the following conclusions: 1. These series differ in the degree of synonymous variability: Armenian synonymous series are distinguished by greater variability. 2. The degree of variability is manifested in the length of the synonymous series: their approximate ratio is 15 lexemes in Russian, 70 lexemes in Armenian. 3. The degree of variability also affects the semantic asymmetry of the semantic organization of the synonymous series: in the Armenian language there are more semantic nodes, therefore, more semantic components.
Semantics and Pragmatics of Combinations «Indefinite Pronoun + Adjective»
The article examines the features of the functioning of indefinite pronouns with -то in combination with adjectives. In these combinations, pronouns express relative, partial indefiniteness. The article presents three types of combinations: 1) combinations of indefinite substantive pronouns with adjectives (что-то ужасное); 2) combinations of indefinite adjective pronouns with attributive adjectives (какой-то новый документ) and 3) combinations of indefinite adjective pronouns with predicate adjectives (Она сегодня какая-то грустная). In the first and second types of combinations, indefiniteness is weakened due to the fact that the speaker is able to name the signs of the described phenomenon, but the phenomenon itself remains unidentified. The boundaries of indefiniteness are narrowed while the indefiniteness of the referent remains unchanged. In the third type of combinations, the speaker is not sure of the accuracy of the quality’s nomination itself; pronouns act as markers of indefiniteness in the manifestation of a definite quality. Basically, in such cases, combinations of indefinite pronouns are possible with adjectives that contain in their meaning a deviation from the norm and from the standard. Indefinite pronouns indicate a non-prototypical manifestation of a quality, that’s why combinations of indefinite pronouns with adjectives that have in their meaning a sense of non-standardity and unusualness are so common. These are mostly negative contexts (Он вообще какой-то странный; Ты сегодня какой-то злой). In all three types of combinations of indefinite pronouns with adjectives indefinite pronouns indicate the pragmatic meaning of the statement, partial indefiniteness, when the indefiniteness is specified. In the first two types the referent is indefinite, in the third type the quality of a definite referent is indefinite.
The Manipulative Game of Porfiri Petrovich in the Novel «Crime and Punishment»
Researchers have always been interested in such areas of literature, which address issues lie at the intersection of two sciences: literature and psychology, literature and sociology, literature and philosophy, literature and cultural studies. In this article we rely on the achievements of psychology. From its positions we consider the novel «Crime and Punishment» by F. Dostoevsky. In particular, we address the problem of manipulation in the novel. We study manipulative techniques and tricks used by investigator Porfiry Petrovich: awareness, irony, hints, surprise effect, false interrogation, or deceptive clarification. Particular attention is paid to the manipulative tactics used, the tricks of manipulative characters. Our aim was not only to identify the manipulative moves in the novel, but also to show their influence on the plot. We also show how effective the manipulation was by looking at the reaction of the victim of the manipulation. The analysis shows that approaching the novel from this position can be very effective for a better perception of the text.
Portrait as a Method of Psychological Characterization in M. Saltykov-Shchedrin’s novel “The Golovlyov Family” and its Recreation in Armenian Translation
The article examines one of the particular problems that arise when translating M.Y. Saltykov-Shchedrin’s novel “The Golovlevs Family” into Armenian. We are talking about the full reproduction in translation of such an artistic detail as a portrait of a literary hero. “Portrait” in a literary work is a rather comprehensive concept that includes diverse characteristics of the hero. In this work, we limit ourselves to considering such a component of the portrait characteristics as the appearance of the heroes, which is not given much space in the work. It is known that in the creation of the main characters of a novel, the most significant is their speech characteristic. It is that characteristic that carries the main semantic and style-forming load. At the same time, the description of the appearance of the characters is also functional in the psychological characteristics of the image and plays an important role as a visual component of the reader’s perception. From this perspective, portraits of episodic, secondary and main characters of the novel are analyzed. It is shown how throughout the novel, in accordance with the development of the image, the physical appearance of the characters changes. Clothes are considered as an attribute of the hero’s appearance, which also has certain significance in revealing the image. The article provides a comparative analysis of the original and the Armenian translation of the novel within the boundaries of the identified issues. Examples of non-compliance of the translation with the original according to certain parameters are given and analyzed. Examples of adequate reproduction of the original in translation, which fully reflect the meaning and artistic originality of the original, are also considered. Based on the analysis, conclusions are drawn about how complete the artistic image is in the translation of the novel.
Oneiric Motifs in the Poetics of Venedikt Erofeev
The theme of sleep and dreams has intrigued minds and souls from ancient times; today, it has become especially relevant and has become the object of study of various disciplines (philosophy, anthropology, cultural studies, psychology). Throughout the history of the world literature, oneiric and dreamlike motifs and techniques expanding the author's capabilities in ideological and artistic mastering of reality and creativity marked works of many authors. This has repeatedly and variously affected, in particular, the works of such classics of Russian prose as Dostoevsky, Turgenev, Tolstoy, followed by Zamyatin with his novel «We», Bulgakov with the novel «The Master and Margarita», as well as others, up to representatives of the latest literature – first of all Venedikt Yerofeyev, and then a number of postmodern prose writers – Viktor Pelevin, Yuri Mamleev, Dm.Liksperov, V. Sorokin and others, who chose sleep as one of the basic elements of their poetics. The purpose of this article is to trace as a cross-cutting plot and compositional line oneiric motifs and techniques in the cult poem «Moscow-Petushki» by Venedikt Yerofeyev – the forerunner of Russian postmodernism, whose work has been in the focus of attention in recent decades. With the outline of the literary background and the emphasis on socio-culturally determined features of the latest Russian prose, the article attempts to connect interdisciplinary research, in particular, a number of provisions of psychology, based on the oneiric cross-cultural myth, by revealing intertextual connections, parallels, to give their interpretation to the dream literary text of modernity.
Emotiveness of Pozdnyshev's Monologue in L.N. Tolstoy’s “Kreutzer Sonata” Novel
The work examines the text of the story “Kreutzer sonata” by L.N. Tolstoy. In this work the speech of the main character are conveyed through the form of monologue. This creates the appropriate structure of expression, grammatical structure of statements, and style. The hero's inner experiences are reflected in language: the psychology of the speaker shapes the characteristics of his speech. We consider the main psychological characteristic of Pozdnyshev's monologue to be its emotionality and expressiveness, which is described through emotive means. The work notes the difference in the understanding of the terms «emotionality» and «emotivity». We touch upon the artistic means of poetic speech – emotive means – which helps to build high expression of speech. This figures can externally, explicitly, carry a pronounced emotional coloring, but they can also express emotion by entering into contextual connections, various configurations and combinations. The emotiveness of speech can be built at the word-formative, lexical, and syntactic – concordance, contrasting, combinability – levels. In the work there is a changing of the character’s psychological states, which is noticeable both in the plot and in the speech: this is a combination of words, the lexical content of a phrase, its technical characteristics – length, tempo, volume. The conjugation of these elements certain the systemic characteristics of this text.
Comparative description of the color lexeme "blue" in the Russian and Armenian languages
The article is devoted to the relevant in modern linguistics comparativedescription of the semantics of the Russian and Armenian color lexemes "blue" and "կապույտ". The methodology of comparative analysis of these lexemes is conditioned by a number of theoretical prerequisites – an approach to the formation of color semantics as a universal trend, potentially possible in any language; the importance of taking into account the compatibility of color lexemes with the names of natural objects in identifying their semantics; diffuse semantics of color and light; the place of the color term "blue" among the basic eleven color terms. The article carried out a definitional analysis, which revealed differences in the semantic structure of the Russian lexeme "blue" and the Armenian lexeme "կապույտ". Contextual analysis of a large array of texts made it possible to identify the features of the lexical compatibility of the studied words, as well as the semantic components in the structure of their lexical meaning. An analysis of the texts and definitions of color lexemes in explanatory dictionaries, as well as observations of the word usage of their synonyms, made it possible to conclude whether the words "blue" and "կապույտ" are complete lexical parallels, or whether there are discrepancies between them – in lexical and linguocultural semantics, in word usage. The paper also attempts to observe some features of the participation of adjectives denoting color in the organization of the text. An analysis of the texts and definitions of color lexemes in explanatory dictionaries, as well as observations of the word usage of their synonyms, made it possible to conclude whether the words "blue" and "կապույտ" are complete lexical parallels, or whether there are discrepancies between them – in lexical and linguocultural semantics, in word usage. The paper also attempts to observe some features of the participation of adjectives denoting color in the organization of the text. At the end of the article, a summary table of the main words denoting the color blue in Russian and Armenian is presented, conclusions are formulated.
Copyright (c) 2023 Author(s) ant the Journal Bulletin of Yerevan University H: Russian Philology https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
S. Kissin's literary mystification and the poem of V. Khodasevich "To the poet": the story of one exposure
The article is devoted to the literary mystification of Samuil Kissin (Mouni) and the history of its exposure. S. Kissin tried to incarnate in another person - Alexander Alexandrovich Beklemishev and construct a different author's "I", different from his own. The result of this experiment was several poems and the story "In the Summer of 190*", written in the wake of the life drama experienced by Kissin. The experience of such an incarnation had a hard effect both on Kissin himself and on his entourage, and in 1908, under the name of Elizaveta Maksheeva, V. Khodasevich published the poem “To the Poet”, which was supposed to put an end to Kissin’s difficult love story and his protracted life-creating experiment. Next, the nature of Kissin's literary mystification is examined in the light of the phenomenon of duality, as well as the dual specificity of the borderline state of both the characters and the author (authors) of the story. On the basis of diary entries, memoirs, the history of exposing the literary hoax of Kissin is studied, and a comparison of poems by Khodasevich ("To the Poet"), Derzhavin ("Anacreon in the Assembly"), Baratynsky ("What are you, days for!") and Beklemishev (" Hungry herds of my fields!..”), allows us to reveal the connection between these works, and ultimately the purpose of Khodasevich's publication. The article emphasizes the revealing function of Khodasevich's poem, and in the conclusion, the carnival essence of both the story "In the Summer of 190*" and the work of Khodasevich, who played a key role in the story of exposing Kissin's literary hoax, is affirmed.
"Pushtorg" as a key work of russian constructivism
Статья представляет собой попытку исследования поэтики и идеологии литературной группировки 1920-х годов ЛЦК (Литературный центр конструктивистов) на материале творчества ее лидера Ильи Сельвинского, в частности – его романа в стихах «Пушторг». ЛЦК был организован в 1923 году, став во второй половине 1920-х годов одной из самых известных и влиятельных литературных группировок в СССР. В 1930 году он разделил судьбу других групп и направлений, объявивших о самороспуске под давлением ЦК партии. Роман «Пушторг» был написан И. Сельвинским в 1927 году, в 1928 году с сокращениями печатался в журнале «Красная новь», полный текст вышел отдельным изданием в 1929 году (переиздан в 1931). Роман имел большой резонанс, о чем свидетельствуют десятки рецензий и упоминаний в прессе 1928–1930 гг. В «Пушторге» Сельвинский поднимал животрепещущие вопросы современности, главным из которых была проблема интеллигенции и революции – одна из ключевых проблем в поэзии конструктивизма. Решение Сельвинским этой проблемы не могло удовлетворять партийную критику – вследствие чего и подавляющее большинство откликов на роман было резко отрицательным. В первой части настоящей статьи нами исследуются особенности поэтики конструктивизма на основе теоретических работ К. Зелинского и И. Сельвинского, прослеживается их воплощение в романе «Пушторг». Во второй части мы рассматриваем исторический контекст, в котором создавался «Пушторг» и другие произведения Сельвинского, устанавливаем связи между стихами из первой книги Сельвинского «Рекорды» (1926) и «Пушторгом» – и явлениями общественной и литературной жизни 1910-20-х гг. Уделяется внимание также толкованиям «Пушторга» советских и современных исследователей.
Poetizing the routine in Gohar Markosyan-Kasper's “Penelope”
Works of the Russian-speaking Armenian writer Gohar Markosyan-Kasper, saturated with national-cultural concepts and archetypes, nevertheless, echoes the artistic traditions of both Russian postmodern literature and world classical literature. Markosyan-Kasper’s poetic manner is characterised by the principle of coexisting paradoxes linking historical-cultural, as well as life-philosophic concepts: antiquity and modernity, mythical and mundane, ordinary and incredible. The author gives in this article observations and comments on mentioned motives in the first and central novel “Penelope”. The poetization of routine, as one of the main artistic principles, is understood in the context of the polemics around the dichotomy of life and existence in Russian literature. One of the perspectives of conceptualization of the «eternal» dichotomy of life and existence in Russian literature and culture is the so-called «Soviet metaphysics», suggesting fundamental ambiguity of reality, which, according to Alexander Genis, divides life into two interpenetrating dimensions: sacral and profane. Reality in the novel «Penelope» is played out artistically in this way, simultaneously realizing the intermediate space on which these dimensions coexist. There are many metaphors of post-Soviet aesthetics, containing motives of ambiguity and peculiar duality, modification of the principle of “estrangement” developed by Shklovsky, as well as other forms and techniques, poetizing life.
Linguistic-conceptual analysis of silence in the novel «Ivan» by V.O. Bogomolov
A review of the verbal and nonverbal representations of the concept of silence and its cognitive and propositional structure in the literary context is presented in this paper. The research is based on the novel "Ivan" (1957) by Vladimir O. Bogomolov and the aim is to decode the general linguistic layer underlying the literary concept of silence and to discover the author's intention in the linguistic means of objectifying the concept. Using the pragmatic expressive and aesthetic approach typical of a literary text, the author narrates the mysterious story of Ivan, a twelve-year-old boy found in the water near the riverbank and arrested on suspicion of espionage. By employing the metaphor of silence, the author focuses on describing the boy's private history, deprived of his childhood, which he reverently guards in his silence, devoting more attention to that than to the depiction of military episodes. The article deals with a variety of verbalizations of the conceptual content of silence, revealing the author's individual perceptions of it, allowing him to present the conceptosphere of silence as a field, the core of which is a generalized cognitive and propositional structure that includes the main lexical representations of the concept. Figurative meanings constitute the immediate periphery, while subjective-modal meanings are the further periphery. Such an analysis helps to reveal the functions of the concept in focus and, consequently, to interpret the individual-authorial image of the world and broaden the understanding of the narrative text itself.
The article is an attempt of further development of the concept of "dominant" - one of the most important concepts of Russian formalism. A study of the formalists’ works devoted to the dominant shows that they are focused on the study of general theoretical problems of literature from the point of view of the new concept, so they were not interested in studying the dominant in a particular poem. The purpose of this article is to identify the main problems of the dominant in a poetic text and to consider the features of the lexical dominant. The proposed concept is based on the following provisions. The dominant is a poetic image that prevails over other images of the text. Only the accented component of the text can act as a dominant. The main indicator of accentuation is the intensive repetition of some element in a poetic text, so only a repeating component can be a dominant. It is known that a poetic image can be created at any level of text organization, consequently, the dominant in a poem also can be realized at all text levels. From the perspective of the traditional division of repetition into contact and distant ones, we can assert that the repetitions at the levels lower than the lexical one can actually function only in contact realization, whereas the repetitions at the levels higher than the lexical one can function only in distant reproduction. The lexical repetition which can be both contact and distant is between these two extreme levels. The contact repetition performs mainly an expressive function, so its role in the formation of the dominant is insignificant. More important is the distant and especially the throughout repetition, which implies the presence of a separating space between the repeating text components and their implementation in different micro-contexts. The distant repetition as a dominant has a number of features that distinguish it from other repetitions: a) the dominant is a developing image, the initial and the final states of which are not equal to each other; b) the dominant is a generative image which creates a number of accompanying images that contribute to the promotion of the dominant and the expansion of its presence in the text.
Word Formative Derivation in Russian-Language Social Networks
The article considers the processes of word formation derivation, particularly the affixation, which is actively and vividly manifested in the Russian-speaking cyberspace. With the development of the Internet new phenomena, concepts and subjects that need to be nominated appear. The vocabulary of the language of Internet communication is replenished not only by borrowings, but also due to the word production process. The Russian language has a developed derivational system, the vocabulary is constantly developing and replenishing. One of the most common ways of forming new words in the Internet space is the affixal word formation. Based on the analysis of the most frequently used lexical units in social networks, the main methods of affixal derivation are revealed, when a new word is formed by adding a prefix or suffix to an already existing borrowing. Prefixes and suffixes that are added to derived foreign-language roots play an important role in determining the partial affiliation of derivatives. The affixes themselves are divided into substantive, adjectival, adverbial and verbial, according to which the lexico-grammatical category the derivatives formed by affixation belong to. The nominations of acts and attributes are most actively produced, but in cases with nominations of objects and phenomena, we mainly deal with borrowings. The prefixation is more common for verbs, while the suffixation has become widespread in the formation of nouns, adjectives and adverbs. Such methods of word formation (based on borrowed roots) become the dominant sources of replenishment and enrichment of the vocabulary of the modern Russian language.