Bakhytzhanova A.

Assanova A.

Eurasian National University named after Leo Gumilyov

The use and formation of verb-particle derivatives in mass media

The language of mass media is the so-called area of fixing, spreading and developing variety of linguistic innovations. The scales of communicative processes, taking place in the society, in many respects stimulates the linguistic behavior of contemporary people. As for the English press, we can claim without doubt, that it reflects the features of linguistic behavior of modern English native speakers.

One of the characteristics of the language of the newspaper is the economy of means of expression and the space in the newspaper. The use of verbal nouns formed from verbs with postpositions is one of the means to avoid the use of a sentence:

Climb-down ends BL look-out (headline). Over 2,000 ВL workers who have been looked out of the Austin River plant at Cawly have been called back to work by the management in what is seen as a climb-down on their part .

Converted word in the headline replaces the whole subordinate clause that we find in the text.

One of the main objectives of the authors of newspaper articles is to ensure the adequacy and perception of newspaper information. The simplicity of the language is found as the ground on which the pragmatic aims of the text are implemented. [1,63]

However, one of the ways of influencing the recipient is, to attract attention, create the effect of sensation that is often achieved by deviation from the “principle of lucidity and simplicity of language”. Towards this end, in newspaper articles, especially in headlines, converted words V+p → N are often used. One of the peculiarities of such derivatives is a greater degree of the lexicalization of a meaning, i.e. the emergence of unexpressed meanings along with preservation of information appurtenant the lexical combinability of the original units. Lexicalization and, consequently, the lack of the semantic extension of the derived words result in that the meaning of verbal nouns v+p®N can be incomprehensible. This property is gambled on in the newspaper headlines. And the inscrutability of verb particle derivatives is aimed at raising the interest of readers. And the fact that the meaning of these derivatives becomes apparent only in the context and fully depends on it, therefore, increases the interest of the recipient to the whole article as usual:

The food of love is no take-away.

Englishmen have become sloppy lovers and it is because they are sloppy eaters, it is claimed. Junk food and take-aways have taken away your appetite for romance, says B.Cartland.

Fast food, TV dinners and take-aways of every description have stolen the heart out of our mealtimes making them more a refuelling stop than an enjoyable experience with those we love, she says .

The repetition of the converted word in different environments, the play upon the meaning of the word in stylistic device pun (take-aways have taken away...) clarify the meaning of the neologism, which is the result of lexicalization of the meaning of the converted word: (the definition from the dictionary) take-away – a shop where cooked meals are bought and taken away to be eaten, as well as the meaning of the converted derivative in the given text: taken home (ready-to-eat meal). [3] However, dictionary definitions do not provide guidance concerning the stylistic peculiarities of the use of this word, whereas the context of the article imparts to the converted derivative in the headline occasional evaluative meaning: something that has a bad, low quality. The uncertainty in the meaning of the converted derivative is contrary to the general tendency in the newspaper style towards standardization, simplicity and availability. In the perception of the recipients appears the opposition; familiar, standard – unknown, unclear. Such an opposition has undoubtedly expressive character and the title immediately catches the eye.

Most of the derivatives resulted in the model V+ p → N used in mass media are fixed in the dictionaries. For instance: there has been a military takeover .

The given derivative takeover is registered in the dictionary in the meaning of revolution; forced change of the government; assumption of the power. And in the given sentence it is used in its direct meaning.

The bulk of the verb particle derivatives met in press are occasional words. For example:

New strongman pledges clean-up .

The initial verb with the particle clean up means: 1) to pick up; 2) to bring order to smth.; 3) to become rich. The derivative clean-up (noun) from the example advances occasional meaning: “removal of unwanted elements from the state leadership”. [3]

There is profound effect of the using converted word on the general pragmatics of the article. In the headlines of mass media articles the converted words of the type V+p→ N, are used frequently. It must be noted that mostly such are derivatives are of the conversational style: laugh-in – fun. This peculiarity of verb particle derivatives impacts the “spirit” of the whole text, evoking the atmosphere of informality and confidence winning the recipient’s favor.

To sum up, we can claim that the derivative resulted from the conversion of verb + particle to noun are highly productive in English mass media. The usage of such derivatives has an underlying reason, that is communicative aim to attract the attention of the readers. And the use of the lexicalized converted verb particles accomplishes the task fully, making the word (especially in the headline) incomprehensible and promoting reading by the addressee entire article.

Bibliography:

1. Андрюхина Т.В. Сложные слова и конверсивы в газетном тексте //Прагматика и стилистика. – 1985. – №245. – С. 63.

2. Загоруйка А.Я. Конверсия – морфологический способсловообразования. – М.: Наука, 1961. – 219 с.

3. Oxford Dictionaries language matters - http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/online