Functional stylistics and vertical context

Abstract

Compared to the philological disciplines of general systematic nature functional stylistics and the studies of vertical context are relatively young and underdeveloped: the definitions of the disciplines in question are there, but the details have either not been investigated or have not been universally agreed upon. The aim of the present paper is to reveal the relevant points concerning functional stylistics and the investigations of vertical context as such and to study these two phenomena in their interrelation. Our analysis has shown that in the more neutral varieties of different functional styles vertical context elements are used sparingly realizing the communicative function of language. The conceptually condensed specialized (academic and official) texts contain a greater amount of these elements fulfilling the intellective function and being directly relevant to developing the main idea of the text; taken together these elements form a consistent global thematic whole. In highly expressive journalistic texts the amount of vertical context elements is equally considerable, but their function is different: instead of developing the main idea they serve as mere intensifiers and their connection with each other is thematically loose and very general or simply non-existent, for they either develop the opposition of good and bad or refer to facts unrelated to each other, thus flaunting the authors sophistication only; vertical context elements here fulfill the aesthetic function of language or strive to render specialized and emotional kinds of content simultaneously. In imaginative writing apart from allusions and quotations, which one may come across in any text, special attention should be given to symbolic texts where one is likely to find vertical context elements aplenty, they perform mainly the aesthetic function of language, and deciphering them proves to be a gratifying undertaking adding significantly to the adequate interpretation of the material under study.

Keywords

• functional stylistics
• functions of language
• vertical context
• functional style
• journalism
• imaginative writing
• symbolic literary texts
• antonomasia