Bayakhmetova Aisulu Akhmetbekovna

kandidate of philological sciences, docent of the Theory of Languages and Literature Department of KSU after A. Baitursynov, Kostanay, Kazakhstan

PRODUCTIVITY OF THE CATEGORY OF DIMINUTIVITY IN ARTISTIC STYLE

          Language is constantly being added with new words, and in this process, a specific role is reserved for the affixal morphemes and also for the diminutive suffixes. Diminutivity bears a specific language meaning related, first of all, to an indication of diminutivity of an object's size. As a rule, it is expressed morphologically through an addition of a specific affix to a nominative base. A research on the category of diminutivity, in our opinion, belongs to a number of complex and insufficiently researched questions of linguistics. The nouns with the diminutive suffixes represent a specific group of derivatives. Diminutivity, in our opinion, is productive in the formation of new words. As a morphological means we can use the special diminutive suffixes -чик, -ик, -еньк, -оньк, -ец, -ок and other: стакан - стаканчик, билет - билетик, букет - букетик, мягкий - мягенький. The diminutive suffixes participate in the formation of derivatives, which bear the tones of evaluativeness, imagery, and expressiveness. The formation of the theoretical basis based on the category of evaluativeness, expressiveness, emotional and evaluative vocabulary was based on the research of some contemporary Russianists, among whom we distinguish the works of Y. D. Apresyan [1], B. I. Dodanov [2, p. 272], M. N. Kozhina [3, p. 223], Y. M. Volf [4, p. 227], N. A. Lukyanova [5, p. 227]. In their works, they research particular qualities of emotional states which can be conveyed by means of the diminutive affixes. It was identified by us that the appelatives with the diminutive suffixes are widely used in the artistic speech. As a rule, a context helps to define that the derivatives with the diminutive suffixes are used for a designation of a psychological state; they help to define and name the main characters' state and their surrounding reality. In the works of the researchers of the recent years, almost an unlimited possibility of nouns with the diminutive suffixes is noted, that express the subtlest tones of attitudes of a speaker toward an utterd subject, and also their ability to get a various coloring under a context's influence. For example:

          Когда бедняжка отец заболел, то Дымов по целым дням и ночам дежурил около его постели (A. P. Chekhov. The Grasshopper) [6, p. 15];

          И все находили, что у молодых супругов очень миленький уголок (A. P. Chekhov. The Grasshopper) [6, p. 18];

          Делала ли она фонарики для иллюминации, рядилась ли (A. P. Chekhov. The Grasshopper) [6, p. 19].

          The artistic style of speech suggests the searching of various means of expression and descriptiveness. It leads to creation of different stylistic contexts which are needed for conveying varying thoughts of an author. In the artistic speech, in our opinion, the derivatives with the diminutive suffixes are the most productive, the word-forming type of derivatives with the diminutive suffixes is rich, varied, and colorful. As a functional category, a conversational vocabulary acts in a stylistic word-forming, representing a core of the conversational style of a language. The conversational lexicon, as a rule, serves for an unconstrained communication, and characterized by its activity and contraposition to the book style, for example: дедок, милок, бедняжечка, поганец. Exactly in the conversational style, as a rule, there is a great quantity of diminutive names:

          - Сядем, сказал он, поднимая её и усаживая за стол. - Вот так... Кушай рябчика. Ты проголодалась, бедняжечка (A. P. Chekhov. The Grasshopper) [6, p. 17];

          - Володичка приехали! - завопила Наталья, вбегая в столовую (A. P. Chekhov. Boys) [7, p. 25];

          The conversational style finds a scope of application usually in the imaginative literature. This style is used in the act of an immidiate communication and is more supported by an addressee. In the imaginative literature, the suffixes with the emotional evaluation are actively used, particularly in the description of a portrait. A portrait in literature is one of the means of an artistic characterization. An author uncovers a typical nature of his characters and expresses his ideological attitude towards them through a depiction of characters' appearance by dint of the derivatives with the diminutive suffixes: their statures, faces, clothes, movements, gestures, manners. Thus, in the works of authors the derivatives with the diminutive suffixes are actively used for the creation of a portrait characterization of main characters. For example:

          Яков Маякин - низенький, худой, юркий, с огненно-рыжей клинообразной бородкой - так смотрел зеленоватыми глазами, точно говорил всем и каждому. (М. Gorky. Foma Gordeyev) [8, p. 15];

          Он был круглый, сытенький и напоминал ей спелую сливу, немного залежавшуюся и уже покрытую пушистой плесенью (М. Gorky. The Mother) [9, p. 23];

          Именно толстенькие человечки - главные греховодники и самые ядовитые насекомые, кусающие народ. (М. Gorky. The Mother) [9, p. 33].

          From a dictionary, we read that a portrait represents the depiction or the creation of an impression from an outer look of a character of some literary work, the creation of face features, figure, clothes, comportment. It is more used in the epical type, rarely in lyrics and dramaturgy.

          In the imaginative literature as a verbal art, the portrait is considered the only means of characterization, that is used in a composite unity with other similar means: a development of action in a story, a depiction of thoughts and moods of main characters, a dialogue of main characters, a depiction of a situation, and etc. By means of a peculiar system of such ways of characterization, an artistic image is created in literature, particularly with the use of the diminutive suffixes, and the portrait turns out to be one of the sides of the artistic image. As we have found out, one of the common methods in a depiction of main characters' temperament is the use of blocks of a different characteristic. In our opinion, for a literary temperament disclosure we need to distinguish three blocks of methods of a character's depiction in a piece of art:

          1. The outer block.

          The diminutive formations of parts of speech, mimics, body movements characterize this block:

          Из-за его спины выглядывала худенькая женщина с длинным подбородком. (A. P. Chekhov. Fat and Thin) [11, p. 60];

          Такой же дошонок и щёголь! (A. P. Chekhov. Fat and Thin) [11, p. 61];

          Её муж - Исай Саввич - тоже маленький, седенький, тихонький, молчаливый старичок (А. I. Kuprin. The Pit) [12, p. 92];

          Нюра - маленькая, лупоглазая, синеглазая девушка; у неё белые, льняные волосы, синие жилочки на висках. В лице у неё есть что-то тупое и невинное, напоминающее белого пасхального сахарного ягнёночка (А. I. Kuprin. The Pit) [12, p. 98];

          Здесь же, положив ногу на ногу, немного согнувшись с шитьём в руках, сидит Тамара, тихая, уютная, хорошенькая девушка, слегка рыжеватая, с тем тёмным и блестящим оттенком волос, который бывает у лисы зимою на хребте (А. I. Kuprin. The Pit) [12, p. 10];

          2. Inner (psychological) block.

          In this block, the derivatives bear in themselves, as a rule, a characteristic of an experience, a state, feelings of characters, in this process, a specific role is reserved for the suffixes of the diminutive character.

          ...была подавлена своим стыдом и чувствовала себя уж не Ольгой Ивановной и не художницей, а маленькою козявкой (A. P. Chekhov. The Grasshopper) [6, p. 21];

          ...душа у него становится маленькая, мёртвенькая и серая, совсем как резиновый мяч ценою в пятачок... (М. Gorky. The Mother) [9, p. 30];

          Девицы покамест ещё называют её безлично, льстиво и фамильярно "экономочкой" (А. I. Kuprin. The Pit) [12, p. 97];

          Хорошо пели, прекрасно, и такая тихая жизнь, и запах такой прекрасный, снежок за окном, ну вот точно во сне (А. I. Kuprin. The Pit) [12, p. 100];

          ...как обращаются не с человеком, даже не с собакой или лошадью, и даже не с зонтичком, пальто или шляпкой, а как с каким-то грязным предметом (А. I. Kuprin. The Pit) [12, p. 100].

          The following methods of the outer block of means of uncovering the literary character are:

          - an author characteristic;

          - a portrait characteristic (gestures, mimics, appearance, intonation).

          Thus, A. Chekhov and A. Kuprin create a portrait characteristic of their characters by dint of not only appearance, but also gestures, mimics, intonations. For example:

          - Да, посадить. Если уж сказал раз неправду, - надо поправлять. Собирайся, дай мне шляпку... Кофточку... Не здесь ищешь, посмотри в шкафу... Зонтик! (А. I. Kuprin. The Lilac Bush) [13, p. 5];

          Пока Алмазов, пробовавший было возражать, но невыслушанный, отыскивал шляпку и кофточку (А. I. Kuprin. The Lilac Bush) [13, p. 5];

          Прохожие с недоумением останавливались, чтобы ещё раз взглянуть на эту странную парочку (А. I. Kuprin. The Lilac Bush) [13, p. 6];

          ...чтобы видели её всю в новом великолепном платье и в шляпке (A. P. Chekhov. Anna on the Neck) [14, p. 8];

          ...и злилась на себя за то, что он обманул её, как последнюю дурочку (A. P. Chekhov. Anna on the Neck) [14, p. 9];

          Она сунула ему в руки блюдечко и, подхваченная кем-то, унеслась далеко и мельком (A. P. Chekhov. Anna on the Neck) [14, p. 8];

          Он, глядя на неё слащаво и жуя, поцеловал ей ручку и попросил позволения бывать ещё и уехал (A. P. Chekhov. Anna on the Neck) [14, p. 9];

          - interior that is an everyday entourage of a character.

          Both the depiction of objects and details of an environment as well as  the depiction of things which exactly are related to a given character, can be encountered in this block.

          И все находили, что у молодых супругов очень миленький уголок (A. P. Chekhov. The Grasshopper) [6, p. 19];

          ...а около рояля и мебели устроила красивую тесноту из китайских зонтов, мольбертов, разноцветных тряпочек, кинжалов, бюстиков (A. P. Chekhov. The Grasshopper) [6, p. 14];

          В маленькой комнатке двум её жителям становилось душно, тесно, и они, то одна, то другой, мельком взглядывали на гостя (М. Gorky. The Mother) [9, p. 24];

          И зонтик у него был в чехле, и часы в чехле из серой замши, и когда вынимал перочинный нож, чтобы очинить карандаш, то и нож у него был в чехольчике (A. P. Chekhov. The Man in the Case. [15, p.45].

          Thus, the derivatives with the diminutive suffixes actively participate in the formation of appelatives and in every of the blocks that we have represented, they fulfill a specific stylistic function which says about their enormous role in understanding of artistic texts.

Literature

          1. Apresyan Y. D. The image of a man based on a language data: an attempt of a systematic depiction/ Apresyan Y. D. Izbryu Proceedings. Lexicography. - M.: Science, 1995. - p. 366.

          2. Dodanov B. I. Emotion as a Value. - M.: Politizdat, 1978. - p. 272.

          3. Kozhina M. N. Stylistics of the Russian Language. - M.: Prosveshcheniye, 1983. - p. 223.

          4. Volf Y. M. D. Functional Semantics of Evaluation. - M.: Science, 1985. - p. 227.

          5. Lukyanova N. A. Expressive Lexicon of Conversational Usage. - Novosibirsk: 1986. - p. 227.