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1.4.2. A question on qualification of a constant epithet and its types

To problem of allocation of constant epithets as independent kind of epithets it is devoted a few works. Constant epithets in all classifications are not opposed to other types of definitions; their structure is rather narrow: these are such epithets as the sun, hands white is red, the kind good fellow, a this world, the bashful person.

As a matter of fact before us epifraza, instead of separate epithets - substantiv and definition function here as a unit.

The constant epithet and epithet in general admitted in the beginning identical concepts. According to F.I.Buslaeva, the essence of an epithet consisted that it served a speech ornament, not giving any additional shades to the subject name. At such understanding of an epithet the status of figurative definition was received only by those adjectives which constantly accompanied a name: the clear sun, dark wood, etc.

The important research on the given theme is article about A.A.potebni's epithet in its book «From notes under the literature theory. Poetry and prose. Tracks and figures»; work has been republished in its book «Theoretical poetics» [potebnja 1990]. The scientist develops thought that the word and verbal product is primary mifologichny and metaobrazny. « Without a word the myth world »is impossible, – he writes [potebnja 1905: 209]. Proceeding from the theory of figurativeness of the internal form, A.A potebnja defines an epithet as« the form, the general in relation to the maintenance, that is a figure, instead of tracks. The epithet is display of art typicalness, or sinekdohichnosti when the image becomes in thought the beginning of some similar and homogeneous images »[potebnja 1905: 210], in it the certain generalised, typical, repeating sign of a subject is expressed. Sinekdohichnost, on A.A.Potebne, can cover with itself metonimiju and a metaphor (a stable stojalaja). It is represented, that mental mechanisms simply are raznoetapnymi, instead of merge in a synecdoche: representations« by analogy », realised through metonimiju and a synecdoche were primary. A.A.Potebnja reduces an epithet to a set of repeating typical definitions, absolutising function of replacement which defines the epithet nature: The epithet not simply replaces a sign, but also staticizes it, puts in the forefront. Nevertheless, a scientific smog to show heterogeneity of structure of epithets; he recognised possibility of development and enrichment of existing formulas not only at the expense of expansion of objective properties of realities, but also for the account concerning their subjective image in language. «Restoration of the internal form is not indifferent repairing for development old, and the creation of the new phenomena testifying to successes of thought. The new certificate of creativity adds to the historical parcels something such that in them did not consist» because «the poetry not is expression of the ready maintenance, and, like language, powerful means of development of thought», - wrote A.A.Potebnja [potebnja 1990:147].

A.N.Veselovsky who has developed the consecutive theory of an epithet, writes, that in connection with epithet appointment - allocation of characteristic line of a subject - its constancy takes place «at known words» [Veselovsky 1989:78]. Describing the maintenance of an explanatory epithet, he notices, that at the heart of it the one sign considered essential in subject or characterising it in relation to the practical purpose or ideal perfection lays.

So, the scientist comes to conclusion, that the constant epithet is to a certain extent relative, its use is caused by time, cultural-historical and verbal traditions.

The constant epithet functions as reference, «simple and invariable» [the Literary encyclopaedic dictionary 1977: 513]. It is preserved by time and is reproduced on custom, by tradition.

V.P.Moskvin differentiates constant and folklore epithets, underlining their uniform source and a generality of functions. Folklore epithets are understood by it as such definitions which are peculiar to oral national creativity, stand up for limits of a literary language and its carriers are not used (zhito jadrenistoe, kameshochki troeraznye, a rye uzhinistaja, a cap chernobarhatnaja, the sun voshozhee). Constant epithets – concept wider: the constant epithet is used not only in national poetry; thus it forms «a phraseological cliche» (V.M.Zhirmunskogo's term) with a defined word. These are such definitions, as foggy Albion, the light future, the sacred gospel [Moskvin 2001: 31].

K.S.Gorbachevich and E.P.Hablo allocate among all epithets national-poetic and individually-author's, planting the given types of epithets by a principle of presence and absence of novelty in value of an adjective.

Last work on time, devoted to a constant epithet, is O.P.Loputko's article «Constant epithets and history of adjectives». The author of article lists the lines characterising a constant epithet: prevalence in folklore products; transfer by such epithets of visual impressions; seriality of realisation of epithets, common use among other similar combinations; exact reproduction of a formular microcontext; fixedness in mythology and ritual [Loputko 2004].

The structure of constant epithets appears at the researcher traditional (cheese the earth, an open country, is green a grass, arrows kalenye, the bashful person, the kind good fellow). It is noticed, that epithets «are one of the basic stylistic means of various genres of folklore», that sharply limits sphere of their use and does justified the fact of their nomination as folklore [Loputko 2004: 81].

The researcher explains a constancy and reproducibility of such epithets representations of the ancient person about a world order. The world was realised as stable and invariable. The person cared of preservation of this order that explains stability of a set and a detail of transfer of designations of subjects of the validity as a part of a microcontext. Short forms of an adjective as a part of a constant epithet are used owing to that the name and a sign were thought by the ancient person as sopolozhennye and elements of the world equal in rights and language. Kategorialnaja semantics of the subject world in an antiquity incorporated a name of a subject and its property. The subject world was inseparable from a word: « In an antiquity the sign was thought only as the integral accessory of this or that subject, a thing and accordingly transferred in language through a designation of this thing. Therefore the ancient name simultaneously could designate both a complete subject, and one of characteristic signs of this subject, in the morphological plan acting as not dismembered name of a subject and a sign »[Loputko 2004:83]. Thus there was no representation about the abstract sign separated from a subject, therefore comparison of signs and subjects was impossible, that has caused constant structure of names and definitions.

O.P.Loputko argues with A.N.Veselovskim asserting, that the constant epithet allocates an etymological sign of a defined word, and convincingly proves the opinion on an example of various epithets. So, in the formula the word grass is green duplicate each other, as zel – «a grass, greens»; but the given fact concerns some epifraz, instead of all their case as confirmed A.N.Veselovsky.

The researcher connects formation of a constant epithet with process of formation of an adjective as independent part of speech. The main process is growth of autonomy of elements within a word-combination with a constant epithet. To it formation of full forms of adjectives from joining of a pronoun to the short form of an adjective that marked presence of an individual sign known to the interlocutor (is green a grass – the green grass) is added. All these processes have accelerated dying off of the short form of an adjective and its fastening as a cliche.

The integrated approach combining consideration of history of language in connection with history of the people, created this language throughout long time, is represented to us productive at studying of such phenomenon, as a constant epithet.

Consider fair to say about a constant epithet in traditional understanding as about a certain standard set of epithets, characteristic for a certain epoch or a literary direction (a gold beam) that «the idealising epithet» B.V.Tomashevskogo corresponds with the term. Really, the epithet is realised by native speakers as an ideal, norm and the formula for a poetic diction.

Especially there is a question on typology of a constant epithet. I.V.Arnold specifies in heterogeneity of constant epithets: they can be tautological (a soft pillow, green wood), estimated (the good boy) or descriptive (a paper napkin – a napkin from a paper). In this case the constant epithet is understood extremely widely: in its frameworks there is also some case of logic definitions (last example see).

B.V.Tomashevsky also speaks about versions of a constant epithet, allocating:

Tautological (repeat a defined word literally): a miracle wonderful, darkness tmushchaja;

Typical (the sea dark blue, the crude earth);

Idealising (the sun red) [Tomashevsky 1959: 202-206].

As we see, tautological epithets, speech about which will go further, steadily join in structure of constants.

T.Roll classifies epithets, proceeding from criterion «typicalness – individuality». The researcher speaks about constant epithets (the maiden young), individualising epithets which give individuality to object in a certain context (mother was angry), and the individual epithets reflecting vision of the author, among which are especially allocated decorating and descriptive (author's neologisms) [the Wild orange 2004: 35].

Analyzing language of the Spanish epic legends, I.B.Pomeranets speaks about a formular epithet (which, in turn, it is subdivided into epithets of the general and private estimation, an aesthetic estimation, an intellectual estimation, an estimation of the person, intensifikatory, metaphorical, syncretic etc.) which differs from constant that it can slightly change depending on a context, and also that is used not in folklore, and in medieval epic texts. Besides, as a basis for division of a formular and constant epithet the typology of constant epithets of I.B.Komarovoj which in article «in an English folk song» has suggested to allocate Epithets has served for the researcher:

Epithets of private character, interchangeable;

Constant epithets with situational value;

The constant epithets forming steams with the defined;

The formular epithets which are a part balladnyh of language cliches (the Wild orange 2004: 41] see [).

By the most general consideration of epithets on a line «stability epifrazy / situativnost epifrazy» it is possible to agree with I.B.Pomeranets's dividing all epithets on constant and individualising, recognising at it their dynamics concept, ability to change.

As we could be convinced, the question on structure and typology of constant epithets is difficult. Folklore, formular and national-poetic epithets are essentially not reduced to a constant epithet though it is impossible to deny their generality. The term «a constant epithet» as it seems to us, we will put not only to national creativity, but also to the formulas-cliches used in a poetic diction of a certain epoch. Functions of a constant epithet in a modern discourse are limited enough – more often it is used as stylisation means under the folklore statement, promoting ritmizatsii the text, to its special lexical registration.

Other type of an epithet allocated with all scientists, but causing is not less questions, – a figurative epithet. We will pass to a problem of its understanding.

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A source: Gubanov Sergey Anatolevich. the EPITHET In M.I.TSVETAEVOJ's CREATIVITY: SEMANTIC And STRUCTURAL ASPECTS. The dissertation on competition of a scientific degree of a Cand.Phil.Sci. Samara - 2009. 2009

More on topic 1.4.2. A question on qualification of a constant epithet and its types:

  1. 1.4.3. The figurative (transferred) epithet and its types
  2. 3.2. Repetition of an epithet as a part of various epifraz, i.e. at different defined words (always contact), or a through epithet (in V.P.Moskvin's terminology) (22 units)
  3. 1.4.1 Review of approaches to epithet typology
  4. 1.3.2. An epithet definition in a modern science
  5. 1.2. An epithet as means of creation of art effect
  6. 1.3.1. Understanding of an epithet in antiquity and the Middle Ages
  7. 1.4. Epithet typology
  8. 1.3. History of studying of an epithet
  9. 3.3. Methods of separation of expenditures on variables and constant components.
  10. Creation of Constant chamber of the international justice. Its competence