Myzdrikova I. S.

Komsomolsk-on-Amur State Technical University, Russia

Phenomenon of Language-Game in Comic Discourse

Annotation

The present work is devoted to studying language-game features in comic discourse as the special type of communication with regard to such genre as a joke.

This work is based on the papers of such linguists and scientists as T.V. Bulygina, I.N. Gorelova, T.A. Grindina, V.Z. Sannikov, A.D. Schmelev, and others.

Language-game is the phenomenon that simultaneously has pragmatic, stylistic, psycholinguistic and aesthetic character. A language-game is a philosophical concept developed by Ludwig Wittgenstein. He studied simple examples of language use and the actions into which the language is woven. According to Wittgenstein the term 'language game' is used to refer to:

· fictional examples of language use that are simpler than our own everyday language;

· simple uses of language with which children are first taught language (training in language);

· specific regions of our language with their own grammars and relations to other language-games;

· all of a natural language composed of a family of language-games” [3].

B.J. Norman gives the following definition of the given phenomenon: “Language-game is an untraditional, uncanonical use of language, creativity in language, orientation on the hidden aesthetic possibilities of a language sign” [1].

The present work is based on the definition suggested by the Russian scientist V.Z. Sannikov: “Language-game is some language abnormality (or singularity) and, what is very important, speaker (writer) understands the abnormality, and does it intentionally. Thus listener (reader) also should understand, that it is made on purpose” [2], otherwise he will estimate the corresponding expression simply as abnormality or inaccuracy.

This work gives a thorough analysis of the comic discourse represented by English anecdotes. The number of studied anecdotes is 100. Here was made an attempt to find out the occurrence and functioning mechanisms of language-game, to describe its possible variants of realization and to reveal its pragmatic importance for this type of discourse.

Problem setting

The phenomenon of language-game is widely spread in the comic discourse, especially in anecdotes. It creates a required emotional background that helps to achieve necessary comic effect.

As it has been stated above language-game represents any manipulation with language signs the major purpose of which is to bring an element of unexpectedness, originality to the narration. It is achieved on lexico-semantic, phonetic and syntactic layers of language in speech realization. Creation and adequate understanding of the comic statement are impossible out of a game situational context. Meanwhile the language of anecdotes is considered as a specific genre having two specific functions – phatic and/or entertaining.

Main part

While researching English anecdotes we allocated quite a number of language-game means, which conditionally can be divided into lexical, phonetic, and syntactic ones. They were classified according to the language layer these examples took place into three groups: lexical and phonetic language-game means, syntactic means of language-game, syntactic means of language-game.

The first group is represented by 26 examples of lexical and phonetic language-game means in English anecdotes. According to our analysis the most frequently used lexical means that create necessary emotional basis of language-game and bring an element of originality are:

- metaphor (the lamps of night);

- epithet (massive party);

- hyperbola (scared to death, thousands of stars)

- simile (Humans are like steel. When they lose their tempers, they are worthless);

Word meaning can be changed with the help of zeugma that is also common in anecdotes. Here is the example of zeugma based on intentional usage of the word “break” in several set expressions “to break one's word” and “to break the door”: He broke the door and his word.

The following examples correspond to the group of phonetic means:

One of the language-game phonetic means of English comic discourse is homophonic and homographic punning. For example: “You can tune a guitar, but you can't tuna fish. Unless of course, you play bass”.

The phrase uses the homophonic qualities of "tune a" and "tuna", as well as the homographic pun on "bass", in which ambiguity is reached through the identical spellings of /beis/ (a string instrument), and /bæs/ (a kind of fish).

Why can a man never starve in the Great Desert? Because he can eat the sand which is there.

- But what brought the sandwiches there?...

The phrases “sand which is there” and “sandwiches there” perceived orally have the same sound form. Due to this fact they can be and are interpreted differently according to a speaker’s and listener’s individual speech experience and prognosis of the communication.

Some comic effect in anecdotes can be achieved with the help of polysemy. Let’s study the following phrase as an example: …being in politics is just like playing golf: you are trapped in one bad lie after another. Here pun consists in simultaneous realization of the two invariant semes of the word “lie”: “to speak untruthfully with intent to mislead” and “to place oneself or be in a prostrate position, horizontal to the ground”.

As for the second group there were found 38 examples of syntactic language-game means in English anecdotes.

The creation of comic effect on the syntactic language level is usually provoked by specific forms of syntactic links between words and sentences.

The most frequently used syntactic means that create the appropriate comic effect contributing to vivid originality in anecdotes and attract listener’s attention are parallel constructions (My wife thinks that I with mistress. My mistress thinks that I with wife; After the first day I saw nothing. After the second day I saw nothing; I’m blond, I’m beautiful, and I’m going to California) and various repetitions (She’d lost her shoe. She’d run away from the ball…; It really, really, really hurts).

Among other popular syntactic means of language-game are detached constructions and stylistic inversion.

The following examples refer to detached constructions:

· Frustrated, he sends the letter…

· Puzzled, one student raise his hand…

· … officers, well mannered, handsome, unmarried…

· …he gets out of the pool, wet and soaked.

The following fragments of anecdotes are the examples of stylistic inversion:

· Deep within the forest a little turtle began to climb a tree…

· After hours of efforts he reached the top…

· "Why is that, Eve?" from above came the reply…

Elliptical constructions prevail in the majority of analyzed anecdotes and create the effect of unexpectedness especially in the form of the dialogue (…but they threw rocks at me. - Threw rocks at you?; Sir, remember me? I’m a blind man!; …where is he?- Under the wagon; I have 12 legs, 12 arms and 8 heads. What am I? - A liar!).

There have been also some cases of unfinished sentences which create the break and allow the listener to guess the meaning of the joke in the end of the sentence. For example: "I'm afraid I have some very bad news," the doctor says. "You're dying, and you don't have much time left." - "Oh, that's terrible!" says the man. "Give it to me straight, Doc. How long have I got?" - "Ten," the doctor says sadly. - "Ten?" the man asks. "Ten what? Months? Weeks? What?!" - "Nine..."

Conclusion

In the course of our research of English anecdotes a number of language-game means have been discovered that in their turn can be divided on lexical, phonetic and syntactic ones.

The total sum of analyzed English anecdotes is 100 samples. The language-game in them can be presented by following lexical and phonetic means: the metaphor, the epithet, the hyperbola, the simile, the zeugma, the intonation change and pause shift, the homophonic and homographic punning, the polysemy. More common lexical and phonetic means of the language-game in English anecdotes are the homophonic and homographic punning, the metaphor and the epithet. It was hard to find the examples of zeugma, the intonation change, and pause shift.

Syntactic means of language-game in English anecdotes are presented by the parallel constructions, the repetitions, the detached constructions and stylistic inversion, the elliptical constructions, the break. The most frequently used syntactic means are the parallel constructions, the repetitions and the stylistic inversion. There were few examples of the break found.

Despite interest of modern stylistics to language-game the wide range of questions doesn’t remain studied enough. The present work is devoted to studying language-game features in comic discourse on an example of English jokes. It was interesting to examine language-game at various language levels (lexical, phonetic and syntactic) and reveal its peculiarities.

Literature

1. Норман, Б.Ю. Игра на гранях языка / Б.Ю. Норман. – М.: Флинта-Наука, 2006.

2. Санников, В.З. Русский язык в зеркале языковой игры / В.З. Санников. - М.: Языки русской культуры, 1999.

3. Wittgenstein, Ludwig Philosophical Investigations / Ludwig Wittgenstein. - Malden: Blackwell, 1953.