Филологические науки: 2.

Теоретические и методологические проблемы исследования языка

К.ф.н. Околелова О.Н.

Мичуринский государственный аграрный университет, Россия

Linguistic Fields: the Study of the Subject

The field principle conception of the system organization of linguistic facts is fairly considered to be one of the most significant achievements of the XX century linguistics. The concept of “field” traces back to the definition of language as the system, representing complex mechanism, which was theoretically explained by I.A. Boduen de Kurtene and F. de Saussure. Field approach to the stock of words (lexis) is more than half-century history of development. Researchers of different generations, national schools and directions, interpret the term of “field” differently, which points to different experience of the problem development, rather than the differences of fundamental theoretical character.

The promoters of this direction in the study of language were G.Ipsen and J. Trier, German scientists. Originally the term “semantic field” was noticed on the pages of G. Ipsen’s work “Der alte Orient und die Indogermanem”, in 1924, where it was determined as the assembly of words, possessing the same meaning.

J. Trier’s conception was of a great popularity abroad. After F. de Saussure, Trier regards that the language of a certain period is a stable and relatively completed system, where words possess meanings not independently, but because other words, closely-spaced with former ones, possess them as well. Trier’s merit is regarded to be the clearage of the terms of “lexical field”, divided into elementary items – concepts. He also introduced these terms into linguistic use. The fields of this kind are rightfully named paradigmatic ones.

Linguistic approach characterizes semantic field by V. Porzig, proceeded not from conceptual linkage of Trier’s type and from separate words, related with semantic and grammar features, like Ipsen’s type, but verbal complexes. His fields are simple correlations, which consist of verb and subject/object or adjective and noun: sehen – Auge, greifen – Hand, blond – Haar, taub – Gehor. Herewith the most important are the lexical items, that are able to express features and exercise a predicative function, - verbs and adjectives, which are semantically more concrete than nouns. Thereby the nexus of “elementary semantic field”, according to V. Porzig, is verb or noun only. In other words, these are syntagmatic fields.

German scientist L. Weisgerber, in his turn, interpretates the concept of field as the assembly of structural models of sentences, joined by semantic task community. Thus, all models, by means of which imperative is expressed, are included into the field of imperative sentences: Geh! – “Go!” – imperative mood; Kommen Sie! – “Let’s go!” – inverted form; Aufstehen! – “Stand up!” – infinitive; Du gehst jetzt nach Hause! – “You are going home immediately” – declarative sentence; Wirst du nun endlich aufhoren? – “Will you stop at last?” – interrogative sentence; Du sollst gehorchen! – “You must be obedient!”; Ihr Durft nicht so schreien! – “You shouldn’t cry in this way” – some modal verbs.

It is regarded to be rightful for some scientists to confirm the existence of several types of fields. But there are also points of view, when preference is given to those semantic fields, which elements possess common meaning. So, O. Dukhachek considers that the word stock of any language represents a structural entire, where each word lies in a proper place owing to its semantic structure and attitude to other words. The linguist draws attention to generally recognized thesis, that the unity of form and content is realized in the word, owing to which words are connected to each other based on some collectivity of form and certain affinity of meaning. Therewith meaning is regarded as complex and determined as the realization of summation of national base and all conceptual, emotional, expressive, grammar and stylistic secondary components. It allows O. Dukhachek to postulate the two main types of linguistic fields: verbal linguistic fields, a centre of which is a word, and conceptual linguistic fields, where words are linked by the fact, that they contain one common meaning (elementary fields) and some close meanings (complex fields) in their semantics.

Verbal fields are divided by O. Dukhachek into morphological, syntactical (syntagmatic) and associative. In morphological fields their separate elements are grouped around frame word (it represents the field centre, shaping the whole unit based on relationship or similarity). Homographs, homophones, paronyms, words, derived from single radical, words, formed by dint of identical prefixes or suffixes or not having inflexions common in form, belong to this. Within syntagmatic fields words are linked with central member with the help of associations, built upon formal or semantic likeness, and sometimes upon both of these simultaneously.

The task of synchronous research of fields is, in particular, the definition of the field structure in question in certain language, except that special interest, in O. Dukhachek’s opinion, is represented by the study of that, how the words, close in meaning, influence each other, changing their semantic volume. The aim of diachronic research, as O. Dukhachek regards, is the clearing up of the kind of the role, which the appearance of some and disappearance of other lexical items within this field play. Undoubtedly, positive aspect in O. Dukhachek’s conception is the fact, that he places importance on the phenomenon of semantic attraction, though it isn’t reflected in the field definition: “Linguistic field is the assembly of words, which being connected to each other by certain relationship, form a structural hierarchic unity”. Semantic attraction is interpretated by O. Dukhachek as a phenomenon, determining the words meaning change in consequence of its phonetic closeness to another word and influencing the place of other lexical items in group.

It is worthwhile noting that the foundations of the field theory building in grammatical language structure were established by V.G. Admoni; the principles of field research were methodically applied by V.G. Admoni in his works on the German language formation in its historical development and modern condition. Admoni’s conception on the field’s structure of grammatical facts is of great interest in native linguistics. In “The Foundations of Grammar Theory” V.G. Admoni points that for the field structure it is characteristically to have a centre balance, formed by optimal concentration of all features, coincidental in this phenomenon, and periphery, which consists of formations with incomplete number of these marks, along with possible variation of their intensity [1, p.49].

In G.S. Shur’s opinion, field is “the way of existence and grouping of linguistic elements, belonging to different language levels, possessing general (invariant) qualities, alongside with the features, differentiating these linguistic items from each other” [7, p.68].

E.V. Gulyga and E.I. Shendels, speaking of lexico-grammatical field, emphasize a dominant as a field constituent in its structure a) the most speaking for this meaning expression; b) showing it in the most univocal way; c) used systematically [5, p.10].

As Z.N. Verdieva writes, field in linguistics is represented as a sum-total of the words of different parts of speech, united by the community of one concept expression. It is the concept that acts as the base of words integration in the field. The correlation of lexical items and concepts, lying in the base of field integration, can be different. A word can express a meaning and be associated with it indirectly through subordinative components of its semantic structure. Word sign, in the semantic structure of which, a feature occupies a dominant position, coincidental with the concept, integrating the field, form its centre. Word signs, containing this feature in a subordinative position, refer to the field periphery [4].

In view of the fact, that the structure of the majority of lexical fields consist of rather great amount of features, they can belong to a lot of conceptual fields, equal to the amount of its semantic features, and the fields as the variety of word signs intercross and don’t have well-managed borders. Wide amount of literature is devoted to semantic fields; it deals with both the history of the problem development and achieved results.

The theories, analyzed therein before, generally interpret field as a single-level formation, including units of any level (lexical, word-formative, syntactical). It made the first stage of the field development. However, nowadays the tendency to consider the field as a combined structure consisting of the units of different levels is becoming evident. Mostly distinct this tendency developed in the approach to regard the field as a split-level formation, which was in the picture in the theory of functional-semantic fields and signalized the second stage in the field theory development.

The advantage of functional-system approach is preeminently in the fact, that it enables to research linguistic phenomena not only from the point of their inner structure, but in the sphere of its functioning, connections with the environment. Such approach gives the opportunity to study language in its concrete realization, in action, research means of transporting extralinguistic phenomena and situations. Functional-system approach suits natural facilities of conversation as well, when different linguistic means are used in their inextricable connection.

“Functional-semantic field is a concrete linguistic two-side unity, which plane of content includes semantic elements in this language interpretation” [2, p.566]. In the base of each functional-semantic field, as A.V. Bondarko regards, there is some certain semantic category, representing semantic invariant, uniting dissimilar language means and stipulating their correlation.

V.M. Pavlov determines field as a cognitive absorption of linguistic formations of “double” character in the sphere of their fundamental qualities. “Doubleness” of these qualities, in the eyes of V.M. Pavlov, is made up of their representing the unity of contrasts. Thereby they act as the branches of linguistic system, through which the links of other branches come. It follows that field covers not only strictly delimited and contrasting formations, but passing places between these formations, dissolving boundaries between them [6, p.22].

From the above reasoning it is clear that it’s rightfully to draw the following conclusions:

● the term of “linguistic field”, firstly, contains the idea of grouping (of serially ordered set) of dissimilar linguistic means;

● the features of elements connection and interdependence are the most important inner qualities;

● field is of systematic character and represents some place, where the centre (nucleus or frame), basing on grammar category and characterizing with density and maximum features concentration specific for this field, is separated, around which other (peripheral) means are grouped, and the zones of interception (passages) of other fields are marked.

Literature

1. Адмони В.Г. Основы теории грамматики. – М.-Л., 1964.

2. Бондарко А.В. Функционально-семантическое поле//Большой энциклопедический словарь: Языкознание. – М.: Большая российская энциклопедия, 1998. – С. 566-567.

3. Булыгина Т.В. Грамматические и семантические категории и их связи//Аспект семантических исследований. – М., 1980. – С. 320-355.

4. Вердиева З.Н. Семантические поля в современном английском языке. – М.: Высшая школа, 1986.

5. Гулыга Е.В., Шендельс Е.И. Грамматико-лексические поля в современном немецком языке. – М.: Просвещение, 1969.

6. Павлов В.М. Полевые структуры в строе языка. – М., 1996.

7. Щур Г.С. О соотношении системы и поля в языке//проблемы языкознания. – М., 1967.