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Literally and figuratively. The emergence of a figurative meaning of a word. Metonymy is an important way of word formation process

The same words can be used differently in speech, getting different meanings. Stand out straight And portable meanings of words. Direct(or basic, main) meaning of a word is a meaning that directly correlates with the phenomena of objective reality.

Yes, words table, black, boil have the following meanings: 1. A piece of furniture in the form of a horizontal board on high supports, legs; 2. Color of soot, coal; 3. Seethe, bubble, evaporate from strong heat (about liquids). These values ​​are stable, although historically they may change. For example, the word table in the Old Russian language it meant “throne”, “reign”.

The direct meanings of words depend less than others on the context, on the nature of connections with other words.

Portable(indirect) meanings of words - those meanings that arise as a result of the conscious transfer of a name from one phenomenon of reality to another on the basis of similarity, commonality of their characteristics, functions, etc.

Yes, word table used in several figurative meanings: 1. A piece of special equipment or part of a cold-formed machine ( operating table, raise the machine table); 2. Nutrition, food ( rent a room with a table); 3. A department in an institution in charge of a special range of affairs ( information desk).

Word black has the following figurative meanings: 1. Dark, as opposed to something lighter, called white ( black bread); 2. Has taken on a dark color, darkened ( black from tan); 3. In the old days: chicken ( black hut); 4. Gloomy, desolate, heavy ( black thoughts); 5. Criminal, malicious ( black treason); 6. Not main, auxiliary ( back door in the house); 7. Physically difficult and unskilled ( dirty work).

Word boil has the following figurative meanings:

1. Manifest to a strong degree ( work is in full swing); 2. To manifest something with force, to a strong degree ( seethe with indignation); 3. Move randomly ( river was boiling with fish).

As we see, when transferring meaning, words are used to name phenomena that do not serve as a constant, usual object of designation, but are brought closer to another concept by various associations that are obvious to speakers.



Figurative meanings can retain figurativeness ( black thoughts, black betrayal). However, these figurative meanings are fixed in the language; they are given in dictionaries when interpreting words. This is how figurative meanings differ from metaphors that are created by writers.

In most cases, when transferring meanings, imagery is lost. For example: pipe elbow, teapot spout, carrot tail, clock ticking. In such cases, they speak of extinct imagery in the lexical meaning of the word.

The transfer of names occurs on the basis of similarities in something between objects, characteristics, and actions. The figurative meaning of a word can be attached to an object (sign, action) and become its direct meaning: teapot spout, door handle, table leg, book spine, etc.

The value transfer process goes like this : baby's foot(direct) - table leg(portable) - table leg(direct).

Primary, direct meaning sometimes can be restored only by studying the history of the word.

Let us summarize the above material in the table:

Types of portable values

Depending on what attribute meaning is transferred from one object to another, distinguish following types figurative meanings of the word.

1) Transfer of values ​​according to any similarity between objects and phenomena. Such figurative meanings are called metaphorical. Metaphor(from the Greek Metaphora - transfer) is the transfer of a name from one object, action, property, phenomenon to other actions, properties, phenomena based on the similarity of their characteristics (for example, shape, color, function, location and etc.). Examples of metaphorical meanings:
a) onion head, eyeball - transfer based on the similarity of the shape of objects;
b) the bow of a boat, the tail of a train, the head of a nail - transfer based on the similarity of the arrangement of objects;
c) wiper (meaning “cleaning device on car glass”), electrical position, guard (meaning “a device on a vessel for holding boiling milk”) - transfer based on the similarity of the functions of objects.

Many metaphorical figurative meanings of the word are characterized by anthropomorphism, that is, the assimilation of the properties of the surrounding physical world to the properties of a person. Compare these examples: an evil wind, indifferent nature, the breath of spring, “The River is Playing” (the title of the story by V.G. Korolenko), the stream is running, the volcano has awakened, etc.

On the other hand, some properties and phenomena of inanimate matter are transferred to the human world, for example: a cold look, an iron will, a heart of stone, a golden character, a mop of hair, a ball of thoughts, etc. There are metaphors general language, when one or another metaphorical meaning of a word is used widely, as a result of which it is known to all speakers of a given language (nail head, river branch, black envy, iron will), and individual, created by a writer or poet, characterizing his stylistic style and not becoming widespread. Compare, for example, metaphors:
S.A. Yesenin: fire of red rowan, birch tongue of the grove, chintz of the sky, grains of the eyes, etc.;
B.L. Pasternak: the labyrinth of the lyre, the bloody tears of September, the buns of lanterns and the crumpets of the roofs, etc.

2) Transfer of name from one subject to another based on adjacency these items. This transfer of values ​​is called metonymy(from Greek Metonymia - renaming). Metonymic transfers of meaning are often formed according to certain regular types:
a) material - a product made from this material. For example, the words gold and crystal can denote products made from these materials (she has gold in her ears; there is solid crystal on the shelves);
b) vessel - the contents of the vessel (ate two plates, drank a cup);
c) author - the works of this author (I read Pushkin, I know Nerkasov by heart);
d) action - an object of action (actions aimed at publishing a book, an illustrated edition of a book as an object);
e) action - the result of an action (construction of a monument - a monumental structure);
e) action - a means or instrument of action (putting cracks - fresh putty, fastening gear - ski binding, motion transmission - bicycle transmission);
g) action - place of action (exiting the house - standing at the exit, traffic stop - bus stop);
h) animal - fur or meat of an animal (a hunter caught a fox - what kind of fur is it, arctic fox or fox?).

One of the different types metonymy is synecdoche. Synecdoche(from the Greek Sinekdoche - ratio) - the ability of a word to name both a part of something and the whole. For example, the words face, mouth, head, hand designate the corresponding parts of the human body. But each of them can be used to name a person: unauthorized persons are prohibited from entering; in family five mouths; Kolya- light head.

Some characteristic features person - beard, glasses, clothes and others are often used to indicate a person. For example:
- Hey, beard, where are you going?
- I’m standing behind the blue cloak...
“It’s true that it’s expensive,” sigh the red trousers (Ch.)

With polysemy, one of the meanings of a word is direct, and all the others are figurative. The direct meaning of the word is its main lexical meaning. It is directly aimed at the subject (immediately evokes an idea of ​​the subject, phenomenon) and is least dependent on the context.

Words denoting objects, actions, signs, quantity, most often appear in their literal meaning. The figurative meaning of a word is its secondary meaning that arose on the basis of the direct one. For example: Toy, -i, f. 1. A thing used for playing. Kids toys. 2. transfer One who blindly acts according to someone else's will is an obedient instrument of someone else's will (disapproved). To be a toy in someone's hands. The essence of polysemy lies in the fact that some name of an object or phenomenon is transferred, transferred also to another object, another phenomenon, and then one word is used as the name of several objects or phenomena simultaneously. Depending on the basis on which the name is transferred,” there are three main types of figurative meaning: 1) metaphor; 2) metonymy; 3) synecdoche. Metaphor (from the Greek metaphora - transfer) is the transfer of a name by similarity, for example: ripe apple - eyeball (in shape); the nose of a person - the bow of a ship (by location); chocolate bar - chocolate tan (by color); bird wing - airplane wing (by function); the dog howled - the wind howled (according to the nature of the sound), etc. Metonymy (the Greek metonymia - renaming) is the transfer of a name from one object to another based on their contiguity *, for example: water boils - the kettle boils; porcelain dish - tasty dish; native gold - Scythian gold, etc. A type of metonymy is synecdoche. Synecdoche (from the Greek synekdoche - co-implication) is the transfer of the name of the whole to its part and vice versa, for example: thick currant- ripe currants; a beautiful mouth - an extra mouth (about an extra person in the family); big head - smart head, etc. In the process of developing figurative names, a word can be enriched with new meanings as a result of narrowing or expanding the main meaning. Over time, figurative meanings can become direct. In explanatory dictionaries, the direct meaning of a word is given first, and figurative meanings are numbered 2, 3, 4, 5. The meaning that was recently recorded as figurative is marked “peren”.

Direct and figurative meaning of the word

Each word has a basic lexical meaning.

For example, desk- this is a school table, green- color of grass or foliage, There is- this means eating.

The meaning of the word is called direct , if the sound of the word accurately indicates an object, action or sign.

Sometimes the sound of one word is transferred to another object, action or sign based on similarity. The word acquires a new lexical meaning, which is called portable .

Let's look at examples of the direct and figurative meaning of words. If a person says a word sea, he and his interlocutors have an image of a large body of water with salty water.

Rice. 1. Black Sea ()

This is the direct meaning of the word sea. And in combinations sea ​​of ​​lights, sea of ​​people, sea of ​​books we see figurative meaning words sea, which denotes a large number of anything or anyone.

Rice. 2. City lights ()

Gold coins, earrings, cup- These are objects made of gold.

This is the direct meaning of the word gold. The following phrases have a figurative meaning: goldhair- hair with a brilliant yellow tint, skillful fingers- this is what they say about the ability to do something well, goldenheart- this is what they say about a person who does good.

Word heavy has a direct meaning - to have significant mass. For example, heavy load, box, briefcase.

Rice. 6. Heavy load ()

The following phrases have a figurative meaning: tough task- complex, not easy to solve; hard day- a difficult day that requires effort; hard look- gloomy, stern.

Girl jumping And temperature fluctuates.

In the first case - a direct value, in the second - figurative (rapid temperature change).

boy running- direct meaning. Time is running out- portable.

Frost has frozen the river- figurative meaning - means that the water in the river is frozen.

Rice. 11. River in winter ()

House wall- direct meaning. About heavy rain we can say: wall of rain. This is a figurative meaning.

Read the poem:

What kind of miracle is this?

The sun is shining, the rain is falling,

There's a big beautiful river by the river

The rainbow bridge is rising.

If the sun is shining brightly,

The rain is pouring mischievously,

So this rain, children,

Called mushroom!

Mushroom rain- figurative meaning.

As we already know, words with multiple meanings are polysemous.

The figurative meaning is one of the meanings of a polysemantic word.

It is possible to determine in what meaning a word is used only from the context, i.e. in a sentence. For example:

Candles were burning on the table. Direct meaning.

His eyes sparkled with happiness. Figurative meaning.

You can ask for help from explanatory dictionary. The literal meaning of the word is always given first, and then the figurative meaning.

Let's look at an example.

Cold -

1. having a low temperature. Wash the hands cold water. A cold wind blew from the north.

2. Transfer. About clothes. Cold coat.

3. Transfer. About color. Cool shades of the picture.

4. Transfer. About emotions. Cold look. Cold meeting.

Consolidating knowledge in practice

Let us determine which of the highlighted words are used in a literal and which in a figurative meaning.

At the table the mother said:

- Enough tongue wagging.

And my son is careful:

- A swing your legs Can?

Rice. 16. Mom and son ()

Let's check: wag your tongue- figurative meaning; swing your legs- direct.

Flocks of birds fly away

Out for the blue sea,

All the trees are shining

In multi-colored attire.

Rice. 17. Birds in autumn ()

Let's check: blue ocean- direct meaning; colorful tree decoration- portable.

The breeze asked as it flew by:

- Why are you rye, golden?

And in response, the spikelets rustle:

- Gold us hands are being raised.

Let's check: golden rye- figurative meaning; golden hands- figurative meaning.

Let's write down the phrases and determine whether they are used in a literal or figurative meaning.

Clean hands, an iron nail, a heavy suitcase, a voracious appetite, a difficult character, Olympian calm, iron hand, Golden ring, golden man, wolf skin.

Let's check: clean hands- direct, iron nail- direct, heavy bag- direct, voracious appetite- portable, difficult character- portable, Olympian calm- portable, iron hand- portable, Golden ring- direct, Golden man- portable, wolf skin- direct.

Let's make up phrases, write down phrases in a figurative meaning.

Angry (frost, wolf), black (paints, thoughts), runs (athlete, stream), hat (mom’s, snow), tail (fox, train), hit (frost, hammer), drums (rain, musician).

Let's check: angry frost, dark thoughts, a stream running, a cap of snow, the tail of a train, frost has struck, rain is drumming.

In this lesson we learned that words have literal and figurative meanings. The figurative meaning makes our speech figurative and vivid. Therefore, writers and poets love to use figurative meaning in their works.

In the next lesson we will learn which part of the word is called the root, learn how to isolate it in the word, and talk about the meaning and functions of this part of the word.

  1. Klimanova L.F., Babushkina T.V. Russian language. 2. - M.: Education, 2012 (http://www.twirpx.com/file/1153023/)
  2. Buneev R.N., Buneeva E.V., Pronina O.V. Russian language. 2. - M.: Balass.
  3. Ramzaeva T.G. Russian language. 2. - M.: Bustard.
  1. Openclass.ru ().
  2. Festival pedagogical ideas "Public lesson" ().
  3. Sch15-apatity.ucoz.ru ().
  • Klimanova L.F., Babushkina T.V. Russian language. 2. - M.: Education, 2012. Part 2. Do the exercise. 28 P. 21.
  • Select correct option answers to the following questions:

1. Science studies the vocabulary of a language:

A) phonetics

B) syntax

B) lexicology

2. The word is used figuratively in both phrases:

A) heart of stone, build a bridge

B) heat of the sun, stone edition

C) golden words, make plans

3. In which series are the words ambiguous:

A) star, artificial, stone

B) single, blinds, jockey

B) stony, caftan, composer

  • * Using the knowledge gained in class, come up with 4-6 sentences with words field And give, where these words are used in direct and figurative meanings.

The direct (otherwise primary, basic, main) meaning of a word is the reflection in the word of that phenomenon of reality with which the word has been associated for a long time and steadily; portable (or secondary) meaning is acquired by a word as a result of its conscious use to designate not the phenomenon that it traditionally designates, but another phenomenon that is close to the first one in our minds according to some characteristics. For example, iron in the literal meaning - containing iron (iron ore) or made of iron (iron roof), and in the figurative meaning - strong, strong(iron muscles) or unshakable, unyielding, not knowing deviations or retreats (iron will). Head in the literal sense - top part human body, the upper or front part of the body of an animal containing the brain, and in a figurative sense - mind, consciousness, reason(clear head, bright head), a man of great intelligence (Ivan Ivanovich is a head!), a person as a bearer of some properties, qualities (smart head, hot head).

In Pushkin's line Dawn rises in the cold darkness word dawn appears in the literal sense ( bright lighting horizon before sunrise or after sunset), and in its own lines And over the fatherland of enlightened freedom Will a beautiful dawn finally rise?– figuratively (beginning, origin, early time of something).

The use of words in literary works in a literal, non-figurative meaning is called autology (Greek autos – himself + logos), and the use of words in a figurative meaning – metalogy (Greek meta – through, after, for -+- logos). The field of metalogy includes all trails .

Trope(Greek tropos – turn; turnover, image) – a generalized name for stylistic devices consisting of using a word in a figurative meaning in order to achieve special expressiveness, imagery . Since the transfer of meaning (or, as they sometimes say, the transfer of names) can occur on the basis of correlation various signs, trails can be of different types, each of which has its own name. The main trails include metaphor, metonymy, irony and hyperbole; Varieties of the main tropes include personification, synecdoche, and litotes.

Metaphor(Greek metaphora - transference) represents a transfer of meaning by similarity. We can say that the basis of a metaphor is a comparison that is not formally designated (for example, with the help of comparative conjunctions). They also say that a metaphor is a hidden comparison. For example, metaphor Empty skies transparent glass(Akhmatova) contains a comparison of the sky with transparent glass, a metaphor A red rowan fire is burning in the garden(S. Yesenin) contains a comparison of rowan brushes with the flame of a fire.



Many metaphors have become commonplace in everyday use and therefore do not attract attention and have lost their imagery in our perception: go beyond the boundaries, hot time, hot heart, dizzy, love has faded, he has lost his head, piercing with his eyes, strings of the soul, the patient’s temperature is jumping, thin voice, difficult character, etc.

In artistic literature, a metaphor achieves its pictorial purpose the more it is unexpected, original and at the same time accurate in the sense of correlating phenomena. The aesthetic assessment of metaphors (as well as other means of artistic representation) is a subjective thing.

And the diamond trembling of the stars fades in the painless cold of dawn.(Voloshin);

And bottomless blue eyes bloom on the far shore.(Block);

Like similes, metaphors can be extended. Sometimes poems are constructed from beginning to end as extended metaphors.

Any familiar metaphor can be presented in its literal sense for artistic purposes, and then it “comes to life” and receives new imagery. This technique is called realization of the metaphor . It can be used for humorous and satirical purposes (for example, in Mayakovsky’s famous poem “The Satisfied Ones” the metaphor is implemented torn apart), but can also be a technique of lyric poetry. The same Mayakovsky implemented the metaphor with great emotional force wring your hands:

Loves? does not love?

I break my hands and fingers

I scatter it, breaking it.

The closeness of metaphor to comparison is expressed, in particular, in the fact that these means of artistic representation are often combined: Russia entered Europe like a deflated ship, with the sound of an ax and the thunder of cannons(Pushkin);

In that long-ago year when love was kindled, like a throne cross in a doomed heart.(Akhmatova);

Metonymy(Greek metonymia - renaming) is transfer of values ​​(renaming) according to the contiguity of phenomena . The cases of such transfers are varied, the main ones being the following.

From vessel, container to contents: The circular buckets, foaming, hiss(Pushkin). Common expressions also belong to this type of metonymy ate a whole plate, drank two cups, etc..

From a person to his clothing or any external signs: And you, blue uniforms(Lermontov; meaning gendarmes); Hey beard! how to get from here to Plyushkin?(Gogol).

WITH settlement on its inhabitants: The whole city was discussing this event; The village was delighted with this news, etc.

From an organization, institution, event to its employees, participants: The research institute was busy completing an urgent task; The plant decided to go on strike and so on.

The author's name may indicate his work: Evgeny Onegin, as you know, Scolded Homer, Theocritus, but read Adam Smith(...) Expressions like Wonderful Kustodiev! Magnificent Faberge! – to designate a painting by an artist or a product of a master.

Irony(Greek eironeia - literally: pretense) - the use of a word or statement in a sense opposite to its direct meaning. A textbook example is the Fox’s appeal to the Donkey, whom she considers stupid, in Krylov’s fable “The Fox and the Donkey”: Why, smart one, are you delirious, head? Words used in the opposite literal meaning can be placed in quotation marks for greater expressiveness, as, for example, in Severyanin’s poems addressed to politicians on behalf of people of art:

Your hostile everyday life is harmful to us - We are burning with eternal art. You are busy with “business”, and we are only “drones”, But we are proud of our title!

The opposite meaning can be given not only to a single word, but also to a broader context or an entire work. An example is the famous poem by Lermontov

Gratitude

For everything, for everything I thank you: For the secret torment of passions, For the bitterness of tears, the poison of a kiss, For the revenge of enemies and the slander of friends; For the heat of my soul, wasted in the desert, For everything I was deceived by in life... Just arrange it so that from now on I won’t be thanking you for long.

In this poem you can see the highest degree of irony sarcasm (Greek sarkasmos, from sarkazo - literally: tearing meat).

Hyperbola(Greek hyperbole - exaggeration) in contrast to metaphor, metonymy and irony, which are renamings on a qualitative basis, consists in transferring values ​​by quantitative characteristic . More precisely, hyperbole consists of a quantitative enhancement of the signs of an object, phenomenon, or action, which for simplicity is sometimes called “artistic exaggeration.”

Hyperbole is often used in folk literature. For example, in the epic about Volga and Mikula:

We drove all day from morning to evening,

We couldn’t get to Oratai.

They were driving and it was another day,

Another day is from morning to evening,

We couldn’t get to Oratai.

How Oratay yells and whistles in the field,

Oratai's bipod creaks,

And the little guys are scratching the pebbles.

They rode here for the third day,

And the third day is still before the swan day.

And we came across an open field in Oratay.

And here is the hyperbole in the mischievous ditty:

The darling sits on the porch With an expression on his face, And the darling’s face Occupies the entire porch.

Great master Gogol was the hyperbole; everyone remembers that a rare bird will fly to the middle of the Dnieper what do you have Cossacks wore trousers as wide as the Black Sea, and Ivan Nikiforovich’s trousers had such wide folds that if they were inflated, the entire yard with barns and buildings could be placed in them.

Personificationa technique consisting of transferring the properties of a person (person) to inanimate objects, natural phenomena or animals. Personification is usually in folk literature and the closest genre of book literature to it - fable; often used in lyric poetry. A few examples:

Luna laughed like a clown.(Yesenin) Midnight through my city window Enters with the night's gifts.(Tvardovsky)

Like simile and metaphor, personification can be expanded. For example, in Lermontov's poem The Cliff

The golden cloud spent the night on the chest of a giant rock, In the morning she rushed off early, playing merrily across the azure; But a wet trace remained in the wrinkle of the Old Cliff. He stands alone, deep in thought, and quietly cries in the desert.

Synecdoche(Greek synekdoche – correlation) – special case metonymy: designation of the whole (or generally something larger) through its part (or generally something smaller included in a larger one). For example: All flags will visit us(Pushkin), i.e. ships flying the flags of all countries. Synecdoche can become a familiar phraseological expression: to have a roof over your head, not enough workers, so many heads of livestock, etc. Synecdoche is the use of forms singular instead of plural: Swede, Russian stabs, chops, cuts (Pushkin); And you could hear until dawn how the Frenchman (Lermontov) rejoiced.

Litotes(Greek litotes - simplicity) - a technique opposite to hyperbole, i.e. consisting of quantitative understatement of the characteristics of an object, phenomenon, action . Litotes are names fairy tale characters Thumb Boy, Thumb Girl. Litotes is also used in the description of the hero of Nekrasov’s famous poem:

And while walking, it is important in decorous calm. The horse is led by the bridle by a peasant in big boots, in a short sheepskin coat, in big mittens... and he himself is as small as a fingernail.

Litota is also the method of defining a phenomenon or concept through the denial of the opposite, which also leads to an understatement of the objective qualities of what is being defined. For example, if we say: This is not without interest, – then such an expression will not contain as definite an estimate as This is interesting. Two examples from Tvardovsky’s poetry:

That hour was already knocking on the window Not without solemn undertakings(“Beyond the distance – the distance”);

No, our days are not without a trace in the world("Birch").

Figure(rhetorical figure, stylistic figure, figure of speech) – a generalized name for stylistic devices in which a word, unlike tropes, does not necessarily have a figurative meaning. The figures are built on special combinations of words that go beyond the usual, “practical” use and are aimed at enhancing the expressiveness and figurativeness of the text. Since figures are formed by a combination of words, they use certain stylistic possibilities of syntax, but in all cases the meanings of the words forming the figure are very important. There are numerous figures; we will name only the main ones here.

Anaphora(Greek anaphora - bringing up, repetition), or unity of command - repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of sentences, poetic lines or stanzas . We have already encountered anaphora in Lermontov’s poem “Gratitude,” cited above, where six lines begin with the preposition for. Two more examples from the poetry of A. Fet:

Only in the world is there anything shady

Dormant maple tent. Only in the world is there something radiant

Childishly thoughtful look. Only in the world is there something fragrant

Sweet headdress. Only in the world is there anything pure

Parting to the left.

Here, each sentence forming two poetic lines begins with the expression Only in the world there is... In the following example, each stanza except the first begins with the word tell, and in the first stanza the second line begins with this word:

I came to you with greetings To tell you that the sun has risen, That it fluttered with hot light across the sheets; Tell me that the forest has woken up, The whole forest has woken up, every branch, every bird has roused itself, And is full of spring thirst; To tell that with the same passion as yesterday, I came again, That my soul is still happy and ready to serve you; To tell that joy is blowing at me from everywhere, That I myself don’t know what I will sing - but only the song is ripening.

Antithesis(Greek antithesis – opposition) – stylistic device of contrast, opposition of phenomena and concepts. The most clearly expressed and simple in structure antithesis is based on the use of antonyms:

I am a king - I am a slave, I am a worm - I am a god!(Derzhavin);

You are also poor, You are also abundant, You are also powerful, You are also powerless, Mother Rus'!

(Nekrasov)

Over the Black Sea, over the White Sea On black nights and white days (...)

But opposition can be expressed and descriptive: He once served in the hussars, and even happily; no one knew the reason that prompted him to resign and settle in a poor town, where he lived both poorly and wastefully: he always walked on foot, in a worn black frock coat, and kept an open table for all the officers of our regiment. True, his dinner consisted of two or three dishes prepared by a retired soldier, but the champagne flowed like a river.(Pushkin);

Gradation(Latin gradatio – gradual rise) – a stylistic device for arranging words and expressions, as well as means of artistic representation, in order of increasing or decreasing (descending) significance. The gradation of the first type is called climax (Greek klimax - ladder), the second - anticlimax (Greek anti - against + klimax). Increasing gradation in Russian literature is used more often than descending. An example of a clear gradation according to the increasing importance of a characteristic can be taken from the epic about Volga and Mikula:

The fry on the bipod is maple, the horns on the bipod are damask, the horn on the bipod is silver, and the horn on the bipod is red and gold.

An expanded multifaceted gradation underlies the composition of Pushkin’s “Tales of the Fisherman and the Fish.” The old fisherman didn’t catch it right away goldfish, the miraculous catch is described using gradations:

Once he threw a net into the sea, - The net came with nothing but mud. Another time he cast a net, and a net came with sea grass. For the third time he cast the net, The net came with one fish, With a difficult fish - a golden one.

“Up the stairs” the old woman’s wishes rise: I don't want to be a black peasant woman, I want to be a high-ranking noblewoman- I don’t want to be a pillar noblewoman, But I want to be a free queen - I don’t want to be a free queen, I want to be the mistress of the sea. In place of the dilapidated dugout, first a hut with a light appears, then a tall tower, and then the royal chambers. The more irrepressible and absurd demands of the old woman the old man is forced to convey to the goldfish, the harsher and more menacing the sea greets him: the sea has become slightly violent - the blue sea has become clouded - the blue sea is not calm - the blue sea has turned black - there is a black storm at sea.

Gradation (mainly ascending) is also widely used in non-stylized book literature. Examples:

I called you, but you didn’t look back, I shed tears, but you didn’t condescend.

No, it would be unbearably terrible, an earthly destiny, if we were not always with us, Neither our childhood days, nor our youth, nor our whole life in its last hour.

(Tvardovsky)

Examples of descending gradation:

He brought mortal resin and a branch with withered leaves.

Will I find the same embrace there? Hello old man, will you meet me? Will the friends and brothers recognize the Sufferer after many years?

(Lermontov)

He promises him half the world, and France only for himself.

(Lermontov)

Oxymoron, or oxymoron (Greek oxymoron – literally: witty-stupid),– a stylistic device of combining words with opposite meanings for the purpose of an unusual, impressive expression of a new concept or idea . Oxymoron is a common figure in Russian literature; it is used, for example, in such titles literary works, like “Living Relics” by Turgenev, “Living Corpse” by L. Tolstoy, “Optimistic Tragedy” by V. Vishnevsky. Examples of oxymorons from poems by Russian poets:

And the impossible is possible.

The long road is easy.

Parallelism(Greek parallelos – walking next to, parallel) – a stylistic device of similar, parallel construction of adjacent phrases, poetic lines or stanzas. Examples of parallelism in the construction of poetic lines:

I look at the future with fear, I look at the past with longing.

(Lermontov)

Repetition. As the name itself indicates, this stylistic device consists of repeating a word, expression, song or poetic line in order to attract attention to it. Special attention. Repetition is a common technique in folk songs. For example:

We were in the field, walking along the boundaries

Wreaths have developed, Let the life give birth, -

The wreaths have developed "Ugly, God,

And they looked lively. Zhito is thick,

And Saint Ilya Zhito is thick,

Spike walks along the borders,

Vigorous!”

Poets often resort to repeating lines in texts that are stylistically close to folk songs:

“I see the death of me, bury me

Here, in the steppe, he will slay, Here, in the steppe, deaf;

Don’t remember, friend, the black horses

My evil grievances. Take me home.

Take my evil grievances home,

Yes, and nonsense, hand them over to the priest...”

Unreasonable words

The old rudeness.

(I. Surikov)

Repeating a line or several lines at the end of a stanza called refrain (French: refrain - chorus).

Repeating a word or phrase can also be used in prose. For example, the ideas of Olga Ivanovna, the heroine of Chekhov’s story “The Jumper”, are far from reality! about her role in the life of the artist Ryabovsky are emphasized by the repetition in her improperly direct speech of the word influence: (...) But, she thought, he created this under her influence, and in general, thanks to her influence, he changed a lot for the better. Her influence is so beneficial and significant that if she leaves him, he may perhaps die. In characterizing Ryabovsky, a significant role is played by the words he repeats, “I’m tired, how tired I am.”

Rhetorical question, rhetorical exclamation, rhetorical appeal(Greek rhetorike - oratory). The definition of rhetorical, fixed in the names of these figures, indicates that they developed in oratorical prose, and then in artistic literature. Here, rhetorical questions, exclamations and appeals increase the emotionality of the statement, attract the reader’s attention to certain parts text. In grammar a rhetorical question defined as a sentence that is interrogative in form, but contains not a question, but a message. In literary literature, a rhetorical question can retain an interrogative meaning, but it is asked not with the goal of giving (or receiving) an answer, but with the goal of enhancing the emotional impact on the reader.

Rhetorical exclamations enhance the expressed feelings in a message:

How beautiful, how fresh the roses were in what garden! How they seduced my gaze! How I prayed for the spring frosts not to touch them with a cold hand!

The rhetorical appeal is directed not to the real interlocutor, but to the subject of the artistic depiction. Of the two functions inherent in an address – appealing and evaluative-characterizing (expressive, expressive) – the latter predominates in rhetorical appeal:

Master Earth! I bowed my forehead to you.(V. Solovyov)

Put me to sleep, ring the bell! Bear with me, three tired horses!

(Polonsky)

Rhetorical questions, exclamations and appeals are also used in prose, mainly in lyrical digressions (for example, in the well-known lyrical digressions in Gogol’s “Dead Souls”) and in cases where the author’s narrative transitions into improperly direct speech (for example, in “The White Guard” » Bulgakov: But days both in peace and in bloody years They fly like an arrow, and the young Turbins did not notice how a white, shaggy December arrived in the bitter frost. Oh, our Christmas tree grandfather, sparkling with snow and happiness! Mom, bright queen, where are you?)

Defaulta figure that gives the listener or reader the opportunity to guess and reflect on what could be discussed in a suddenly interrupted utterance. An excellent example of silence that awakens deep thoughts and strong feelings is found in Bunin’s poem:

In the forest, in the mountain, there is a spring, alive and ringing, Above the spring there is an old cabbage roll with a blackened popular icon, And in the spring there is a birch bark.

I do not love, O Rus', your timid Millennial, slavish poverty. But this cross, but this ladle is white. . . Humble, birthmarks!

More examples of omissions in direct speech are from Chekhov’s “Lady with a Dog.” Anna Sergeevna's words: – (...) When I married him, I was twenty years old, I was tormented by curiosity, I wanted something better, because there is, I told myself, another life. I wanted to live! To live and live... Curiosity burned me. . . Gurov's words: - But understand, Anna, understand. . “- he said in a low voice, hurrying. “I beg you, understand.” . .

Ellipsis in literary literature acts as a figure with the help of which special expressiveness is achieved. At the same time, the connection between artistic ellipsis and colloquial expressions is clearly preserved. Most often the verb is omitted, which gives the text a special dynamism:

Let... But chu! This is not the time to walk! To the horses, brother, and the foot in the stirrup, out with the saber - and I’ll cut it! Here is a different feast that God gives us.

(D. Davydov)

In prose, ellipsis is used mainly in direct speech and in narration on behalf of the narrator. A few examples from Lermontov’s “Bela”: (...) If he was a little lazy, it would look like there was either a lasso on his neck or a bullet in the back of his head; Grigory Alexandrovich teased him so much that he could even throw himself into the water; Kazbich shuddered, changed his face - and went to the window; Well, that's an aside; Grigory Aleksandrovich squealed no worse than any Chechen; the gun out of the case, and there - I followed it.

Epiphora(Greek epiphora – repetition) – The figure opposite to anaphor is the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of a poetic line. Epiphora is much less common in Russian poetry than anaphora. Examples:

The number of steppes and roads is not over; No account found for stones and rapids.(E. Bagritsky).

Introduction

The richness and diversity of the vocabulary of the Russian language is noted not only by specialists - scientific linguists, but also writers and poets. One of the factors in the richness of our language is the polysemy of most words. This allows them to be used not in one specific context, but in several, sometimes completely different ones.

Values polysemantic words can be direct and portable. Figurative meanings are involved in the creation of vivid figurative texts. They make literary language richer and more intense.

Purpose of the work: to find examples of the use of words with direct and figurative meanings in the text by M. Sholokhov “Quiet Don”.

Job objectives:

  • · Determine which values ​​are considered direct and which are figurative;
  • · Find examples of words with direct and figurative meanings in M. Sholokhov’s text “Quiet Don”.

The work consists of two chapters. The first chapter presents theoretical information on the problem of direct and figurative meanings of words. The second chapter is a list of examples illustrating words used in their literal and figurative meaning.

Direct and figurative meaning of words in Russian

Words in Russian have two types of meanings: the main, direct meaning, and the non-basic, figurative meaning.

The direct meaning of the word is “a direct connection between a sound complex and a concept, a direct nomination” Modern Russian literary language / Ed. P. Lekanta - M.: Higher. school, 1988. - pp. 9-11..

The figurative meaning is secondary; it arises on the basis of associative connections between concepts. The presence of similarities between objects is a prerequisite for the fact that the name of one object begins to be used to name another object; thus, a new, figurative meaning of the word arises.

The use of words in a figurative meaning is a generally recognized method of expressive speech. The main types of figurative meaning are the techniques of metaphor and metonymy.

Metaphor is “the transfer of a name from one object to another based on any similarity of their characteristics” Rosenthal D.E., Golub I.B., Telenkova M.A. Modern Russian language. - M.: International Relations, 1995. - 560 pp..

The similarity of objects receiving the same name can manifest itself in different ways: they can be similar in shape (ring 1 on the hand - smoke ring 2); by color (gold medallion - golden curls); by function (fireplace - room stove and fireplace - electrical appliance for heating the room).

The similarity in the location of two objects in relation to something (the tail of an animal - the tail of a comet), in their assessment (clear day - clear style), in the impression they make (black blanket - black thoughts) also often serves as the basis for naming different things in one word phenomena. Similarities are also possible based on other characteristics: green strawberries - green youth (the unifying characteristic is immaturity); fast running - fast mind ( common feature- intensity); the mountains stretch - the days stretch (associative connection - length in time and space).

Metaphorization of meanings often occurs as a result of the transfer of qualities, properties, actions of inanimate objects to animate ones: iron nerves, golden hands, an empty head, and vice versa: gentle rays, the roar of a waterfall, the talk of a stream.

It often happens that the main, original meaning of a word is metaphorically reinterpreted on the basis of the convergence of objects according to various characteristics: a gray-haired old man - a gray-haired antiquity - a gray-haired fog; black blanket - black 2 thoughts - black ingratitude - black Saturday - black box (on an airplane).

Metaphors that expand the polysemanticism of words are fundamentally different from poetic, individually authored metaphors. The first are linguistic in nature, they are frequent, reproducible, anonymous. Linguistic metaphors, which served as a source for the emergence of a new meaning for the word, are mostly non-figurative, which is why they are called “dry”, “dead”: the elbow of a pipe, the bow of a boat, the tail of a train. But there can also be transfers of meaning in which the imagery is partially preserved: a blooming girl, a steely will. However, the expressiveness of such metaphors is significantly inferior to the expression of individual poetic images.

Dry metaphors that give rise to new meanings of words are used in any style of speech (scientific: eyeball, root of a word; official business: a store, alarm signal); linguistic figurative metaphors tend to expressive speech, their use in formal business style excluded; individual author's metaphors are the property of artistic speech; they are created by masters of words.

Metonymy is “the transfer of a name from one object to another based on their contiguity.”

Thus, it is metonymic to transfer the name of the material to the product from which it is made (gold, silver - Athletes brought gold and silver from the Olympics); names of the place - to the groups of people who are there (audience - Audience listens carefully to the lecturer); the names of the dishes - based on their contents (porcelain dish - delicious dish); names of the action - on its result (doing embroidery - beautiful embroidery); names of the action - to the place of action or those who perform it (crossing the mountains - underground transition); the name of the item - to its owner (tenor - young tenor); the name of the author - on his works (Shakespeare - put Shakespeare) etc.

Like metaphor, metonymy can be not only linguistic, but also individually authored.

Synecdoche is “the transfer of the name of a whole to its part, and vice versa” Rosenthal D.E., Golub I.B., Telenkova M.A. Modern Russian language. - M.: International Relations, 1995. - 560 pp. For example, a pear is a fruit tree and a pear is the fruit of this tree.

Transfers of meaning in such expressions as, for example, the feeling of an elbow, the right hand, are based on synecdoche.

word polysemous metaphor expressiveness