Слово.ру: балтийский акцент (Aug 2023)
The language of muteness: examining the work of Gazdanov and Salkazanova in Paris
Abstract
The article examines the principles and methods of constructing discourse that emerges through a unique combination of socio-cultural and linguistic factors in the context of a European metropolis. Participants involved are representatives of the first and second wave of Russian emigration: Gaito (Georgy Ivanovich) Gazdanov, a prominent writer of the Russian diaspora, and Fatima Salkazanova, an aspiring journalist who crossed paths with Gazdanov in the 1960s in Paris while working in the Russian service of Radio Liberty[60]. Salkazanova's oral memoirs provide valuable insights, revealing that Gazdanov remained completely silent in her presence for a period of six months until he unexpectedly spoke to her, advising her to purchase a new watch. The primary focus of this study is to elucidate the strategy employed in constructing this ‘wordless’ discourse, as well as to explore the conditions that facilitate its occurrence, underlying mechanisms, and its historical background. The analysis encompasses linguistic, historical, cultural aspects, and aims to determine its linguistic classification and overall significance. The discourse itself is interpreted as a revival of the archaic ritual of silence practiced in Ossetian patriarchal families, serving as a form of speech etiquette. This relic language practice, rooted in Indo-European archaic traditions, represents a manifestation of the rite of passage and allows individuals of Ossetian origin, who may have lost their native language due to external circumstances, to demonstrate their cultural identity. It is suggested that the occurrence of such speech behaviour is strongly influenced by the specific time and place, where forced emigration to Europe not only contributes to the preservation of archaic speech etiquette patterns but also involuntarily activates them.
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