Referential Specificity of the Definite Pronouns иной and другой

Abstract

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.