Senior lecturer,  Kosimova N.F.

Bukhara State University, Uzbekistan

ABOUT THE ASYMMETRY IN LANGUAGE

AND SOME REASONS FOR ITS OCCURENCE

          Such concepts as orderliness, the regularity, uniformity of subjects and phenomena of the objective world in linguistics are generalized in one concept – the concept of symmetry. The given concept is identical with such concepts as law, preservation, and  invariability. Symmetry  is characterized with  the stability and  balance of a state. The concept  which is  opposite to the symmetry  is asymmetry. Asymmetry is a reflection of a variety, infringement of orderliness and regularity. This is such a phenomenon where the balance and stability of components of the whole are broken.  S.O.Kartsevsky was the first among researchers of language to use the terms symmetry and asymmetry in relation to the language phenomena in his article «About asymmetric dualism of a linguistic sign» (1929). His attention has been directed on a parity "polysemy/synonymy" of the language phenomena, arising as result of a divergence between the plan of expression and the content plan. In this connection, S.O.Kartsevsky marks,  signifier and signified are in asymmetric relationship. Having formed a pair, they are in a condition of unstable balance. Due to this phenomenon,  asymmetric dualism of  the sign a  language can develop” [5, 90].

          As it is already mentioned symmetry and asymmetry in the language occur in a condition of unstable balance. Constant movement from one phenomenon to another and back is mainly observed. Symmetry creates convenience with its uniformity. It is favorably conditioned by alignment according to analogy which leads to the elimination of asymmetric forms. As a rule, symmetric forms are more motivated, they are easier perceived, used and force out unmotivated asymmetric forms which carry not a classifying but an individualizing character. Despite it, however, symmetry in some particular cases can give way to asymmetry.

          In each living language there are certain means for indemnification of absent symmetric forms. For example, the absent gerundial form of the verb ïèñàòü (to write) in the Russian language can be compensated with the prepositional construction âî âðåìÿ ïèñüìà (while writing) or with a gerundial form of a synonymic or adjacent verb in meaning: ñî÷èíÿÿ ïèñüìîomposing the letter), ñîñòàâëÿÿ äîêóìåíò (making the document) instead of ïèøà ïèñüìî, äîêóìåíò [3, 125].  

          As V.G.Gak states, asymmetry is the eternal and universal phenomenon, and therefore it is necessary to concern it not as an "illness" of a language, not as a language lack as dialogue tools, but as the major component of  a language system connected with the device and functioning of  the language. Asymmetry is first of all explained not by the speakers’  limiting  the  quantity of elements of the plan of expression and the content plan, without having possibility or desire to keep their big number in memory.  According to V.G.Gak, the main reason the  occurrence of the  asymmetry is that people operate with  the concepts with indistinct borders, though with an accurate kernel or core. It is possible to express any object in the verbal form, even such objects for which in the language there are no special names. However, this major problem of communication is realized by an illegibility of borders of the value of the language elements, i.e. words, grammatical forms [3, 123-124].

          The homonymy  is the sharp display of asymmetry, but it at the same time represents the display of invariability in respect of expression. In the history of linguistics the cases of elimination of a homonymy were often observed, but along with it the cases of homonymization, not caused by the actions of phonetic laws were also observed. For example, the technical language gives an abundance of deliberately entered homonyms; so in radio engineering various devices receive names CIRE, CID, TAM-TAM. Here invariant forms prevail over the distinction in the meaning. Synonymy, on the contrary, is a domination of unity of the maintenance over distinctions of forms. The opinion is sometimes expressed that the occurrence of such asymmetry as a polysemy is caused by inability of a human brain to acquire too many signs: a special word for each concept. But the person without special complexity acquires also two-three languages, that is, he/she  is capable to remember several signs for the same concept. 

          The “inescapability” of asymmetry representing a motive power of   the language development, is based, first of all, on the feature of thinking and psychology of the person. In this connection, V.V.Ivanov considers that propensity of the person to the asymmetry is explained by the asymmetry of cerebral hemispheres[4, 56]. 

          V.N.Bgashev states that symmetry at a morphological level is considered as «a certain regularity of the language system structure, repeatability of the general principles of this structure in its separate parts and subsystems». Asymmetry represents «infringement of steadiness of the language system, caused by change and development of the language and causing in  its turn  the  reorganization of  the whole system»[1, 32].  

           According to V.G.Gak, at each level and a language site it is necessary to distinguish kernel, typical, basic elements and peripheral ones. The parity of a kernel (centre) ↔periphery  is shown in the  structural, semantic and functional aspects [2, 25]. In the structural aspect the kernel  is the  dominating models of word change, a combination of words; and the periphery is the deviation from these models. So, for example, in the English language  the formation of the plural by adding the ending  -s concerns a kernel of a language system, the formations of the type man - men, child - children, sheep - sheep  belong to its periphery. In the semantic aspect the center is the typical forms and meanings, while the periphery is  intermediate forms and meanings. Head elements possess the basic features of the given category, but  peripheral ones occupy an intermediate position  between this category and others. For example, in  the English language among forms of a verb the personal form is central, and impersonal one (the infinitive, a participle, a gerund) concerns the  periphery and combines the verb  properties with the properties of other parts of speech. In the functional aspect the center is common and generally accepted forms. Periphery consists of less common and  not frequent phenomena. In this sense in the system of tenses of the English language it is reasonable to include the Future Perfect Continuous, the Future Perfect Continuous in the Past to the  periphery.   

          Comparing the languages in the functioning aspect  makes it obvious that  the asymmetry is shown where the  speech conformities are not similar with the conformities of the system  and the given position is visually opened in the process of translation. «Any deviation from  the system conformity in translation concerns the asymmetric phenomena» [3, 112]. So, for example, the future time exists in all languages, but to the Russian form of the future time in English texts quite often correspond present forms (Present Indefinite, Present Continuous). For example: Îí óåäåò â Ëîíäîí çàâòðà óòðîì. He is leaving for London tomorrow morning (instead of “he will leave”).

        The language evolution moves not only towards  establishing the symmetry, but also in an asymmetry direction. So, for example, in the language constant differentiation of word meanings and forms, a reduction of a polysemy and other similar phenomena creating symmetry is observed. However, along with it the wide variation of means of expression, occurrence of new homonyms, analytical designs and ways of expression and other facts of asymmetry of a language system are fixed. Thus, in a language, as well as in other areas of the nature and society the concept of asymmetry of  a system coincides with the concept of presence of certain unsystematic phenomena in the system.

           So,  the philosophical categories of symmetry and asymmetry represent  the dialectic unity owing to what in a science about a language they are studied in their unity and interdependence. Such an approach to the consideration of these two phenomena of the language regularities  promotes  the deeper knowledge of the language structure, gives the chance to explain  the dynamic stability of the given structure and its readiness for changes.       

LITERATURE USED:

1.       Bgashev V. N. Symmetry and Asymmetry Of the Language System. Perfection of training in the conditions of higher school reorganisation (Materials of seminar-meeting on foreign languages of high schools of Central Asia and Kazakhstan). Tadjikistan, Dushanbe,  1990.

2.       Gak V.G. Language Transformations. Ìoscow, 1998.

3.       Gak V.G  The Theoretical Grammar of the French Language. Ìoscow, 2000.

4.       Ivanov V.V. Asymmetry Of a Brain and Sign Systems. Ìoscow, 1978.

5.       Kartsevsky Ñ.Î. About the Asymmetric Dualism of a Linguistic Sign// The History of  Linguistics  of  the XIX-XX th centuries in Sketches and Extractions. Compiled by V.A.Zvegintsev. Part 2. Ìoscow, 1965.