I. Stylistic Devices Based on Noun Usage

1. Stylistic Devices Based on Usage of Invariant Meaning of Substantivity.

Words of every part of speech are united by their semantic and grammatical properties. Invariant lexico-grammatical meaning of nouns is the meaning of substantivity i.e. the ability to denote objects or abstract notions. Substantivity is realized in the categories of number, case, definiteness / indefiniteness. These noun meanings can be used for stylistic purposes.

Grammatical meaning of substantivity is opposed to grammatical meaning of qualitativeness of adjectives, to grammatical meaning of process of verbs and to grammatical meaning of manner of action of adverbs. Difference between these meanings makes the transposition between different parts of speech possible.

Transposition is possible not only between different parts of speech, but also between different lexico-grammatical classes of nouns. Due to the diverse nature of substantivity, English nouns can be divided into the following classes:

1) nouns, denoting persons – a doctor, father, priest, a person;

2) nouns, denoting living beings – real or imaginary: angel, bird, tiger, devil, hobbit;

3) collective nouns: family, gentry, clergy, team, mankind;

4) nouns, denoting material (or substance): meat, steel, honey.

5) abstract nouns: dismay, freedom;

6) proper nouns: London, Ukraine, Mr. Sandford, Rocky Mountains;

7) nouns, denoting units of measurement: a mile, a month.

Stylistic devices based on the usage of invariant meaning of substantivity can be created in two ways:

1) in syntactical construction N₁ is N₂ the same words are repeated as homogeneous members of a sentence: boys are boys; miles upon miles; day after day.

Repetition of a word of any lexico-grammatical class is possible:

e.g. Money is money;

After all three hundred pounds is three hundred pounds.

2) Homogeneous members of a sentence and members of the construction N₁ is N₂ are substituted by nouns of different lexico-grammatical classes. The widest valency of N₁ belongs to nouns denoting persons. These nouns can be combined:

a) with nouns denoting living beings: He is a lion, a fox, an ass. He is a devil with women. Women are funny creatures.

b) with nouns denoting different things: Phyllis was the key to the problem.

c) with abstract nouns: He would be a great success in America. These girls are an awful responsibility.

Cases of transposition emerge, in particular, when concrete nouns are used according to the rules of proper nouns usage or vice versa. It results in creation of stylistic devices named antonomasia or personification:

e.g. The Pacific Ocean has a cruel soul.

John will never be a Shakespeare.

Other cases of combination are also possible: combination of abstract nouns with collective nouns (time is money); combination of nouns denoting occasions or objects with abstract nouns (parties were a bore). But these types of combination are not common:

e.g. Affection was a matter of course.

Usually in the construction N₁ is N₂ nouns of the same lexico-grammatical class are used.

Дата добавления: 2014-01-11