Combinatorial Characteristics of Verbal Formula of Apology <i>sorry</i> in Russian Language

Abstract

The article is devoted to analysis of the combinatorial characteristics of speech formulas of apology sorry in the Russian language used in informal communication. 150 text fragments extracted from the corpora of the Russian language that include this formula are reviewed. On the basis of this material the analysis of the compatibility of the unit of speech in each of its meanings is made. Test samples of word tokens are divided into two groups according to two main functions that can perform this verbal formula. The first group includes cases in which the expression of apology is the primary function of the form sorry . The second group includes cases in which the expression of apology is its secondary function and analyzed form is firstly used to soften the statement, to establish communicative contact, to the complete communicative situation. The article reveals the ratio of cases using formula of apology sorry in different functions. Novelty of research consists in that still there were no special studies of the combinatorial characteristics of syntactic units. The obtained results reveal the efficiency of the approach to the study of the functioning of language units from the point of view of combinatorial syntax and confirm the feasibility of this task.

Keywords

• expressive speech act
• combinatorial syntax
• apology