Hyperconcept Quality as a mechanism of verbal representation of epithetic paradigm in M. Tsvetaeva’s works

Abstract

Introduction. Attributive vocabulary often becomes the subject of research in cognitive linguistics. The study focuses on the description of the specifics of the verbalization of the hyperconcept Quality by means of epithet complexes in M. Tsvetaeva’s texts. The relevance of the article is due to the attempt made in it to describe the mechanisms of modeling epithet complexes in the work of M. Tsvetaeva from a cognitive-semantic position. Materials and Methods. Several epithet nominations of the character of the subject, which have a semantic specificity of linguistic representation in M. Tsvetaeva’s work, are taken as material. On the basis of a consistent comparison of the dictionary meanings of epithet words and their idiostyle semantic features the specificity of the representation of basic characterological epithet complexes is revealed. The epithet complexes were selected on the basis of the continuous sampling method from the complete collection of the poet’s works. The comprehensive methodology of the study, including cognitive-semantic, component methods, made it possible to reveal the specifics of the epithet paradigm of M. Tsvetaeva’s work. Analysis. The structure of the hyperconcept Quality determines the multilevel representation of features by epithet words. The article analyzes the most representative and frequently represented in the poet’s idiolect cognitive feature of the hyperconcept «proper quality» and one of its types - socio-communicative, characterological. Modeling of meaning within the framework of the epithet complex occurs by means of non-usual use of epithet vocabulary, changes in the compatibility properties of characteristic words and objects of epithetation, conditioned by poetic attitudes. Results. The authors conclude that epithet complexes of various semantic and structural types, verbalizing the characterological socio-communicative feature of the cognitive feature «proper quality» of the hyperconcept Quality, are a systemic phenomenon of paradigmatic nature, embodying the anthropomorphism of the poet’s language.

Keywords

• hyperconcept
• epithet complex
• attribute
• quality
• epithet paradigm
• marina tsvetaeva
• idiolect