Lexico-semantic group stability of modern English nouns

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LEXICO-SEMANTIC GROUP STABILITY OF MODERN ENGLISH NOUNS

Iryna Kalynovska

Stability is known to be one of the features of linguistic norm, along with a tendency to differentiate variant realizations functionally and stylistically. At the syntactic level linguistic norm is sufficiently stable. Its evolutional development is conditioned by the requirements of social communication, with significant changes that occur not in the set of syntactic means but in the way and frequency of their usage. The following article focuses on the main aspects of lexico-semantic group stability of high frequency Modern English nouns, being the heads of noun phrases used in English literary texts. The analysis is made with the help of statistic formulas of variation coefficient (V) and standard deviation (o). The investigation reflects a widespread in language and speech preference law, according to which a small amount of units is used very often and carries a maximum functional capacity. The lower the variation coefficient of a language unit, the higher the language unit stability. According to that approach linguistic norm represents constructions that are actually used in language.

Key words: language norm, stability, lexico-semantic group, noun phrase.

Анотація

lexical semantic english noun

Калиновська Ірина. Стійкість лексико-семантичних груп іменників сучасної англійської мови.

Відомо, що стабільність є однією з особливостей мовної норми поряд із тенденцією до диференціації варіантних реалізацій у функціонально-стилістичному аспекті. На синтаксичному рівні мовна норма досить стійка. Її еволюційний розвиток зумовлений потребами суспільної комунікації, причому значні зміни відбуваються не в самому наборі синтаксичних засобів, а в способі й частоті вживання цих засобів. Ідеться про основні аспекти стійкості лексико-семантичних груп найчастотніших іменників сучасної англійської мови, які є ядрами іменникових фраз у текстах англомовної художньої прози. Аналіз проводимо за допомогою статистичних формул коефіцієнта варіації (V) та стандартного відхилення (с). Дослідження є підтвердженням поширеного в мові й мовленні закону переваги, згідно з яким невелика кількість одиниць уживається дуже часто та несе максимум функціонального навантаження. Чим нижчий коефіцієнт варіації, тим більша стабільність уживання мовної одиниці. За такого підходу мовна норма відображає конструкції, які реально використовують у мові.

Ключові слова: мовна норма, стабільність, лексико-семантична група, іменникова фраза.

Аннотация

Калиновская Ирина. Устойчивость лексико-семантических групп существительных современного английского языка. Известно, что стабильность является одной из особенностей языковой нормы наряду с тенденцией к дифференциации вариантных реализаций в функционально-стилистическом плане. На синтаксическом уровне языковая норма достаточно устойчива. Ее эволюционное развитие обусловлено потребностями общественной коммуникации, причем значительные изменения происходят не в самом наборе синтаксических средств, а в способе и частоте употребления этих средств. Речь идет об основных аспектах устойчивости лексико-семантических групп наиболее частотных существительных современного английского языка, которые являются ядрами именных фраз в текстах англоязычной художественной прозы. Анализ осуществляется с помощью статистических формул коэффициента вариации (V) и стандартного отклонения (с). Исследование является подтверждением распространенного в языке и речи закона преимущества, согласно которому небольшое количество единиц употребляется очень часто и несет максимум функциональной нагрузки. Чем ниже коэффициент вариации, тем больше стабильность употребления языковой единицы. При таком подходе языковая норма отражает конструкции, которые реально используются в языке.

Ключевые слова: языковая норма, стабильность, лексико-семантическая группа, фраза существительных.

The main text

Formulation of the research problem and its significance. The dynamic nature of language is well-known. Despite various reasons that cause language changes, they have a tendency to preserve language in the state of stability. M. P. Kocherhan states that “language stableness is necessary to be understandable to the speaker, to keep and transfer the experience of previous generations, and variability - to fix and mark the new phenomena of external and internal world of man, i. e. to express new thoughts” [6, p. 186].

We know that the pace of change at different linguistic levels vary. Under the direct speech influence new lexical units penetrate actively into literary language, are used parallel with the old elements, and sometimes completely replace them. “At syntactic level language norm is rather stable” [10, p. 36]. Its evolution is primarily due to the needs of social communication, with significant changes occurring not only in the set of syntactic means, but also in the manner and frequency of these units usage.

In view of the foregoing, it should be noted that the study of linguistic unit stability is vital and perspective, because language as a socially and historically conditioned phenomenon is characterized by dynamic and stability principles. Our article studies lexico-semantic group stability of high frequency Modern English nouns.

Analysis of previous research dealing with this problem. A number of works by foreign (O. Jespersen, S. Chatman, V. Ingve, A. Hill, H. Serensen, F. Wood, etc.), Russian and Ukrainian scientists (L. S. Barkhudarov, N. F. Irtenyeva, V. P. Lukashevich, A. A. Mizak, E. A. Ternova, N. I. Varlamova, N. I. Lyhosherst, I. Y. Beder, M. R. Kaul, L. S. Lev, etc.) are dedicated to the study of noun phrase structure [4]. In our previous article we have tried to analyze the stability of noun phrase structure in English literary texts [5]. In short, the research showed that left-hand arrangement (progressive) of the elements is the most productive and stable, while right-hand (regressive) is not stable. The bigger the size of noun phrase is, the least is its frequency and stableness. Lexico- semantic group stability of high frequency Modern English nouns has not been the subject of a separate study.

Regarding the concepts of “linguistic resistance” and “linguistic stability”, they are not terminological. Member of Ukrainan NAS Orest Tkachenko [11] distinguishes the two concepts, using the phrase “linguistic resistance” to characterize an individual or collective language behavior. The concept of “linguistic stability” is used by the author to refer to language state.

Stability is known to be one of the features of linguistic norm, along with a tendency to differentiate variant realizations functionally and stylistically. In this sense “normativity provides literary norm stability, retains inclination to linguistic units variability, not resulting in obstructing functional and stylistic differences” [1], does not contribute to deepening of differences between spoken and written language. According to O. V. Popova, it is “the proof of continuity of normalizing processes that affect all levels of language system, as coherence and interrelation of structural components ensure harmonious existence of the system” [9, c. 126].

V. D. Bialyk [2] believes that “structural elements as components of language system allow the presence of variants on condition of the involvement of cognitive-synonymous elements within a given language system and thereby reveal systemic features of the language, submitted with reference to time and as a result there exist parallel forms”.

“Standards provide language with such features as order and general obligation. Language norm is traditional, stable, flexible, formed by changes of cultural and historical conditions of literary language and variability”[7].

The goal and the specific tasks of the article. The goal of this article is to study the main aspects of lexico-semantic group stability of Modern English nouns. The objective is to analyze lexico-semantic group stability of high frequency nouns, being the heads of noun phrases used in English literary texts by means of statistic formulas of variation coefficient (V) and standard deviation (a).

Under the term “head-noun”, used in the following article, the leading element is understood. Noun phrases are viewed as syntactic constructions, built by the head-noun and one or more notional or functional words connected by means of subordinate connection, for example a plan of the room, every minute, his undertaking business, etc.

The object of study is the noun, selected from the “Frequency Dictionary of Compatibility of Modern English” by N. O. Volkova, R. Z. Ginzburg, V. I. Perebyinis and others [3]. The total amount of nouns selected is 497, that is almost 50 % of the most frequent words used in Modern English [4].

Presentation of the basic content of the research and an interpretation of the results which were obtained. In our research we proceed on the assumption that “linguistic norm is stable, fixed in communication process, language unit variation” [11]. In this case, the norm specifies units common in this period of language development, describes high frequency language variants. Linguistic norm reflects the words actually used in the language, their form and peculiarities of pronunciation, syntactic structures and so on.

We can draw an analogy between this understanding of language norm and the main tendency in statistics. As well as the main tendency in statistics does not reflect the assessment of the phenomenon, the most common variants identified by linguistic norms are not assessed. The main objective of the study of linguistic norm in linguistic aspect is the selection and description of linguistic phenomena, "inventory" of modern language units.

The stability of unit usage in the excerpts or its statistic steadiness is a really important characteristics in linguistics, used for comparing different language units in one excerpts or the same unit in different excerpts [8].

The head-nouns are divided into 8 lexico-semantic groups by means of noun classification by I. V. Arnold [4]. Noun division into lexico-semantic groups is given in Table I.

On the material of 18851 noun phrases, selected from Modern English literary texts by method of complete excerption [4], it is observed, that each lexico-semantic group is characterised by its definite frequency usage, which is depicted in Table 1. Under the term “rank” the number in the list of descending elements is understood.

Table 1