Article

Name: Subject of sensory perception in semantic space of stories by A. P. Chekhov

Authors: L. B. Kryukova, A. V. Khiznichenko, X. Wang

Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russian Federation; Shenyang Ligong University, Shenyang, China

In the section Linguistics

Abstract: The paper considers the particularities of linguistic representation of perception process in late stories by A. P. Chekhov. The research is based on basic statements of a sensory linguistics, semantic syntax and functional stylistics of the text. A variety of ways of representation of sense impressions displays the features of author's worldview. In 67 works, more than 4 000 utterances with perceptual semantics are revealed. The main purpose is the analysis of linguistic means of expression of the subject of perception and its role in text production. The challenge of the subject designation comes from the fact that there are various semantic positions in the literary text such as author, narrator and character. The analysis and interpretation of special aspects of the subject worldview allow getting into the deep meaning of the text and marking out some particularities of the individual style of the narration. The paper suggests the possible options of classification of subjects of perceptual activity. Two fairly arbitrary oppositions are considered: adults and children; people and animals. It is argued that depending on the subject of perception, the prevalence of some perception type is observed in the text: visual, audio, tactile, olfactory or flavouring Visual and audio perception are the main ways of space orientation for people and their interaction. The utterances in which the attention is focused on the loss of the ability to see and hear metaphorically transfer the idea that the inner spiritual life of the hero ceases. Children perceive the world in all completeness of its colour manifestations: bright light and various vibrant colours draw their attention, darkness and sad tones frighten them. For perception of adults, the social status and official capacity are important. The behavioural reaction of characters and their emotional state are represented. In utterances with animals as subjects of perception, the situation of smell and taste perception is regularly implemented. Perceptual linguistic means with metaphorical meanings serve for assimilation of children to adults and animals to people; participate in describing of surroundings, in which characters live. Various sensual characteristics describe the appearance and behaviour of all characters. Utterances with perceptual semantics in the literary text allow representing a situation «realistically», showing not only the general picture but also drawing attention to separate aspects of the events and facts described.

Keywords: perceptual semantics, subject of perception, utterance, pro-position, imagery, literary text, sight, hearing, smell

Bibliography:

Avdevnina O. Y. Pertseptivnaya semantika: zakonomernosti formirovaniya i potentsial khudozhestvennoy realizatsii [Perceptual semantics: regularities of formation and potential of artistic realization]. Saratov, Saratov State Univ. publ., 2013, 340 p.

Apresyan Y. D. Izbrannye Trudy. T. 1 [Selected works. Vol. 1]. Moscow, LRC Publ. House, 1995, 472 p.

Babina T. P. Sposoby vyrazheniya sub’ekta v russkom yazyke [Ways of expression of the subject in Russian]. Abstract of Cand. philol. sci. diss. Moscow, 1986, 24 p.

Bashkova I. V. Grammatika vospriyatiya v sovremennom russkom yazyke [Perception grammar in modern Russian]. Abstract of Cand. philol. sci. diss. Yekaterinburg, 1995, 24 p.

Bondarko A. V. Teoriya funktsional’noy grammatiki. Personal’nost’. Zalogovost’ [Theory of functional grammar. Personality. Voices]. St. Petersburg, 1991, pp. 120–135.

Boreyko T. S. Situatsiya taktil’nogo vospriyatiya: sposoby predstavleniya v sisteme russkogo yazyka i v yazykovom soznanii individa [Situation of tactile perception: ways of representation in system of Russian and in linguistic consciousness of the individual]. Cand. philol. sci. diss. Omsk, 2006, 224 p.

Demeshkina T. A., Verkhoturova N. A., Kryukova L. B., Kurikova N. V. Lingvisticheskoe modelirovanie situatsii vospriyatiya v regional’nom i obshcherossiyskom diskurse [Linguistic modeling of a situation of perception in a regional and all-Russian discourse]. Tomsk, TGU Publ., 2006, 194 p.

Dvizova A. V. Yazykovye sredstva vyrazheniya situatsii zritel’nogo i slukhovogo vospriyatiya v poezii B. Pasternaka (sopostavitel’nyy aspekt) [Linguistic means of expression of a situation of visual and acoustic perception in B. Pasternak's poetry (comparative aspect)]. Siberian Philological Journal. 2013, no. 1, pp. 207–211.

Grigor’eva O. N. Tsvet i zapakh vlasti: Leksika chuvstvennogo vospriyatiya v publitsisticheskom i khudozhestvennom tekstakh [Color and smell of the power: Lexicon of sensory perception in publicist and art texts]. Moscow, Nauka, 2004, 248 p.

Kharchenko V. K. Lingvosensorika. Fundamental’nye i prikladnye aspekty [Sensory linguistics. Fundamental and applied aspects]. Moscow, Librokom, 2012, 216 p.

Korycankova S., Kryukova L. B., Khiznichenko A. V. Poeticheskaya kartina mira skvoz’ prizmu kategorii pertseptivnosti [Poetic worldview through a prism of perception category]. Brno, Muni Press, 2016, 236 p.

Kustova G. I. Vid, vidimost’, sushchnost’ (o semanticheskom potentsiale slov so znacheniem zritel’nogo vospriyatiya) [Look, visibility, essence (about the semantic potential of words with value of visual perception)]. In: Sokrovennye smysly: Slovo. Tekst. Kul’tura [Intimate meanings: Word. Text. Culture]. Moscow, LRC Publ. House, 2004, pp. 155–175.

Moiseeva N. V. Glagoly vospriyatiya v russkom yazyke [Verbs of perception in Russian]. MSU vestnik. Series 9. Philology. 1998, no. 6, pp. 82–91.

Olitskaya D. A., Kryukova L. B. Avtorskoe mirovospriyatie i sposoby ee yazykovogo vyrazheniya v original'noy i perevodnoy poezii B. Pasternaka [Author’s worldview and ways of its linguistic representation in original and translated B. Pasternak’s poetry]. The World of Russian Word. 2012, no. 4, pp. 92–99.

Paducheva E. V. Dinamicheskie modeli v semantike leksiki [Dynamic models in semantics of lexicon]. Moscow, LRC Publ. House, 2004, 608 p.

Popova Z. D., Sternin I. A. Kognitivnaya lingvistika [Cognitive linguistics]. Moscow, AST, Vostok-Zapad, 2010, 314 p.

Shmeleva T. V. Semanticheskiy sintaksis: Tekst lektsiy iz kursa “Sovremennyy russkiy yazyk” [Semantic syntax: The text of lectures from the course “Modern Russian”]. Krasnoyarsk, Krasnoyarsk State Univ. Publ., 1988, 54 p.

Slovar’ russkogo yazyka: V 4 t. 4-e izd. [Dictionary of Russian: in 4 vols, 4th ed.] Moscow, Russkiy yazyk, Poligrafresursy, 1999, vol. 2, 736 p.

Wang X. Yazykovye sredstva vyrazheniya chuvstvennogo vospriyatiya i ikh rol’ v semanticheskoy organizatsii khudozhestvennogo teksta (na materiale rasskazov A. P. Chekhova) [Linguistic means of expression of sensory perception and their role in the semantic organization of the art text (on material of stories by A. P. Chekhov)]. Abstract of Cand. philol. sci. diss. Tomsk, 2015, 24 p.

Zolotova G. A. Kommunikativnye aspekty russkogo sintaksisa [Communicative aspects of the Russian syntax]. Moscow, 1982, 368 p.