Stylistics and other Linguistic Disciplines

Stylistics is connected with phonetics, morphology, lexicology and syntax and is subdivided into stylistic phonetics (phonostylistics), stylistic morphology, stylistic lexicology, stylistic syntax.

We shall now look for the difference between general morphology, lexicology, syntax, on the hand, and their stylistic counterparts, on the other.

The ultimate aim as well as the general method of stylistics is description of specific spheres of sublanguages. Therefore whatever level we take, stylistics describes not what it is common use but what is specific in this or that respect, what differentiates one sublanguage from others.

1. General (i.e. non-stylistic) phonetics investigates the whole articulatory-audial system of language.

Stylistic phonetics or phonostylistics pays attention only to style-forming features of sublanguages: it describes variants of pronunciation occurring in different types of speech (cf. recitation or oration with colloquial speech). Special attention is also paid to prosodic features of prose and poetry.

It studies how the sound form of speech makes it more expressive. It studies metre, rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, etc.

2. General morphology treats morphemes and grammatical meanings expressed by them in language in general, without regard to their stylistic value.

Stylistic morphology, on the contrary, is interested in grammatical forms and grammatical meanings that are peculiar to particular sublanguages, explicitly or implicitly comparing them with the neutral ones common to all sublanguages.

e.g. The grammatical category of number:

One I-am-sorry-for-you is worth twenty I told-you-so’s.

(The sentence sounds rather funny when the s- ending is added to the whole of it)

e.g. Peter’s sad face. vs Winter’s grim face.

3. General lexicology studies vocabulary, the development and origin of words, the meaning of words and word-building. Stylistic lexicology studies the interaction of meanings, it studies expressive, evaluative, emotive meanings of words.

Дата добавления: 2013-12-12