Nikiforova S.

Masaryk University, Czech Republic

Composites in Old Russian:

Structure - Semantics - Genre

The nature and functions of the oldest polybasic formations are essentially represented differently from similar modern lexical units. Only the insignificant parts of such words are actually considered Slavic, having arisen in the oldest period of development of the language though the existence of composites as a way of derivation during the pre-literate period, to be fair, is not being called into question. Certainly the high-rate of polybasic formations in Old Russian is connected with the formation of its lexical system under the considerable influence of Old Slavic manuscripts.

1. However it is known that the degree of activity of word-composites in Old Slavic and Old Russian manuscripts differs. This fact, ascertained through many researches [in particular – R.M. Cejtlin] forces the researcher to question why such considerable quantitative, and incidentally qualitative, divergence occurs.

Use of word-composites , on the one hand, are generally a sign of Church texts and derives from the Greek originals and then on to Old Slavic sources, which are calques, while their other part [ both considerable and extensive] has been created based on structural and semantic models taken from Greek.

On the other hand it is probable that composites play a special role in building up the texts' meaning, [i.e.: in Old Russian texts they carry out pragmatic functions connected with the expression of concepts rather than stylistic functions - in fact, for the author or copyist, meanings of a terminological nature.

Antoine Meillet has defined a functional value for complex formations in languages as one the basic means for giving to words their special character. He has also written about construction and also about the use of composites as a fixed asset for imparting special character to words. They were applied in solemn expressions, such as in the technique or in poetry.

Today the defined specificity of these formations, as a whole, remains, unless their usage hasn't a reliable meaning, [e.g.: in the sphere of denominating moral categories where Old Slavic became a source of lexemes – добродетель, благородство, благодушие, двоедушие, etc.]

2. When characterizing word-formation features of units within Church texts, authors consistently point out that composites are their integral accessories, [ see: R.M. Cejtlin and corresponding sections from Andre Vaillant, Antoine Meillet, B.A. Uspensky etc.]. However, the indicative quantitative non-uniformity of distribution of such forms in different genres of Church manuscript should be taken into account. Thus, in the oldest Gospels and Service Menaions [ the most widespread genres in Early Rus' for religious reading], we can observe an essential difference in the frequency of composite use : e.g. in the Panteleymon Gospel C12th - C13th it iconstitutes 2.2% of the quantity of all word forms in the text; the oldest Menaions represent other data: in the Service Menaions for May C11th, [ Putyata's Menaion] [RNB, Sof.202] [PM] composites make up 4.51%, for April C12th [ RNB, Sof. 199] – 4.35%, for May C13th [RNB, Sof. 204] - 4.5%.

It can be shown that the genre text structure, the pragmatics and parity in such a text of its context, of the significator and its significance, [specifically a way of expression] depending on the principles of genre discourse, explain quantitative and qualitative distinctions in the function of word-composites found in Confessional texts [ based on N.I. Tolstoy's classification of very old texts the Gospel is believed to be Confessional - Liturgical literature and Service Menaions Confessional - Hymnographic literature].

3. We will start by using the major theses of Prof. V.V. Kolesov concerning the semantic syncretism of an Old Russian word, about the contextual conditions actualizing the meaning of such a unit and, thirdly, about the creation of a multi-value word at the most complex link in the structure of its semantics, according to Pagan and Christian cultural elements [Kolesov 2002].

A composite, unlike a non-composite formation, represents the motivating components in a word-form structure that represents semantics in element composition and leads to parallelism of a compound word with a word combination. It also leads to the birth of a unit taking an intermediate position between synthetic and analytical formations [see - Pavlov 1985]. Kolesov writes about the 'Triad', "idea – symbol – name ", "основной структурной единице средневекового сознания и культуры в целом" [Kolesov 2002: 100], but the idea enters into a symbol and assumes the interpretation, and means – the acknowledged "proposition", for which the rheme component becomes a necessary condition. As an example a composite милосердыи (богъ) implicitly confirms " X [God] has a merciful heart so the actions of " X " are favourably connected in all its manifestations.

Our thesis is definitely supported by the structural and semantic composite чловЬколюбьць which in the Menaion lists from the C11th – C13th becomes a contextual equivalent for qualitative nouns милосрьдыи, compare PM дасть млсрде. блговЬрьноумоу ти слоузЬ / Sin. 166 – дасть чловЬколюбче. богочьстивоуму ти оугодьнику / Sof. 203 – дасть члколюбьче. блгочьтивуоумоу ти оугодьникоу / Sof. 204 – дасть члвклюбче. блгочьстивомоу ти оугодьникоу / Q.п.I.25 – дасть милосрьдьне благовЬрбному ти слузЬ / greek Εδωκας φιλάνθρωπε. τω εύσεβει του θεράποντι : in the composite чловЬколюбьць with the second verbal part, the proposed structure is explicit: God – ' the one who loves the person / people'. Specifically, the connexion of two base-parts within a composite structure defines it as a word, which is equivalent to a proposition. Here are two components peculiar to an identification of the independent phenomena of a reality. A component's combination within a compound allows language awareness to correlate with identifiable base-parts and consequently simulate a theme-rheme relationship of words [here – base-parts of corresponding words]; i.e.: to simulate "a proposition". Such a 'proposition', because of the implied structure of the 'proposition' ['loving God, favored by God] tends to give 'inexact, multi-valued', polydimensional, or more accurately a syncretic, concept of world realities. In that case the occurrence of a new composite can be connected with the requirement to create a multisemantic word, read in many ways and consequently a sacred word. Such a word in the texts creates an 'over-meaning' or hyperonym, necessary for a correct and proper [set by idea] text examination.

4. Allusion-style texts – Service Menaions – demand such a component-based approach to semantics: metatext requires a composite as a means of expressing the characteristics - the proposition, because the inexact multisemantic characteristics of the subject require interpretation in the Menaion discourse, where the narrative is shown to be minimal or absent.

Formally there are extremely few verbs among composites or they are derived from nouns: the noun recommended to identify and characterize a subjects [the subject богъ also defines its compatibility – милосьрдыи, человЬколюбивыи etc. as it draws conclusions about God, instead of a simple definition for God]. S.N. Bulgakov wrote : "Имя есть первоначальное сказуемое, <которое> получается в результате суждения. <…> Идеи суть словесные образы бытия, имена – их осуществление. <…> Всякое имя есть конкретное употребление общей идеи, и сказуемое, скрытое в имени, по природе своей есть идея, имеющая всеобщую значимость" [Bulgakov 1953: 60-61]: for example вЬра 'any belief', вЬра благая 'Christian dogma', благовЬриЕ – as the term 'attitude – appropriate belief, generated through processing knowledge of the truth, keeping the believer from error, a constant spiritual enrichment'.

5. A Menaion text assumes a characterological variety of an information concept concerning the subject, but, the evangelical discourse tends to the event aspect of the subject.

The subject in the Gospel is an exclusively operating subject, the characteristics of which is created by a narrative discourse [most often by means of a verb/participle as a predicate. Evangelical texts are not characterized by a high activity of composites compared with Menaion texts simply because narratives about creation , the life of the world, Jesus Christ are symbolic; they are , in themselves, conclusions which are not shown in the more fractional components. These are symbols [probably, for the Christian, a gestalt] that, while recognized, are not rationalized.

Composite names accorded to the persons in the Panteleymon Gospel, for example, are extremely unequivocal. Noun-appendices, adjectives and full participles are also not used for their characteristics: : водоносъ (съ нею остави же водоносъ свои жена 18.3), дрЬводЬля (не сь ли Есть дрЬводЬля снъ мариинъ 74.3), зълодЬи (аще не бы былъ сь зълодЬи не быхомъ прЬдали Его тебЬ 188.1), лицемЬръ (добрЬ прорече исаия о васъ лицемири 78.4), иноплеменьникъ (нъ тъкъмо иноплеменьникъ сь 126.3), etc. Firstly, the subject in a Menaion is described using a wide range of characterizing names, Thus, in Putyata's Menaion, we find units equivalent to evangelical names but in a different context [as the quantity of coinciding composites in these genres is not sufficient]: зълодЬи (старыи зълодЬи змии 22об.), иноплеменьникъ (възвыси рогъ вЬрьныихъ низъложи шАтания иноплеменьникъ 49об.), свАщеньномУченьникъ (сщеномнци прЬблажении 80), чюдотворьць (блгословлЕная въ истиноу вещь Есть паь твоя чюдотворьче оче сумеоне 97; прмдръ бы из млада въздраста оче чюдотворьче прдбне истиньнааго разоума дхнааго 97об.), etc.

The hagiographical text [based on N.I. Tolstoy's classification hagiography is third level] using this approach is understood as an intermediate genre because both the quality and quantity of composites correspond to the intermediate position of a discourse type in which a narrative is combined with narrative characteristics.

6. V.V. Kolesov writes: "Смысл текста при всей его (намеренно) неопределенной неоднозначности является производным от семантического синкретизма составляющих его слов, и прежде всего – имен. <…>Сложность восприятия подобных текстов – в непривычной для нас установке: в них зашифровано знание об объекте, который на самом деле еще непонятен или вообще неизвестен<…> Движение в восприятии идет от целого к составным его частям – словам, как аналитическое разложение смысла на значения <…>путем установления неустойчивых поначалу связей между сокровенными смыслами исходных синкрет в общей их сочетаемости<…>" [Kolesov 2002: 152-3]. Composites correspond to the criterion of understanding that is found in the semantics of early texts. The initial variability of composite components illustrates a process of mentalization, to wit, the development of conceptual units derived from Christian culture and subsequently invested with Slavic verbal units and composed upon Slavic soil. Analytical [to a certain degree] formations in this process take a special place: they allow elements of the semantic field to vary in the search for the most exact equivalent to the already developed concepts of the Greek language [e.g.: among благовЬриЕ – благочьстиЕ – доброчьстиЕ from the Greek εὐσέβεια – ' inner piety']. In the presence of the reviewer and , if necessary, to designate concepts, a word becomes the tool of metallization - developing and assigning other cultural elements.

The composite becomes the optimum means of disclosing the meaning of initial conceptual units in the interpretation of symbols [the Slav borrow symbols from the Greek texts]: e.g. with Old Russian quasi-synonyms благовЬриЕ and благочьстиЕ [see V.V. Kolesov, quasi-synonyms "обозначали не тот же референт или денотат, но разные идеи о них, взятые в различных контекстах" [Kolesov 2002: 303], the semantic volume of both Slavic words changes but frequently they share a unifying Greek source in the initial text.

That "unknown object" [a concept in Greek designated via εὐσέβεια] receives a different designation depending on the pragmatics of the text. It is caused by how the translator / the copyist analyzes the semes 'belief', the Christian doctrine ' or 'act for the sake of belief ',

Synonyms зълочьстьнъ – нечьстьнъ represent parallelism of the initial Slavic зъло‑ and не‑, it is found in the similar formations зъловЬриЕ – нечьстиЕ / безбожьство, that allows the negation of the normal (вЬра, чьсть, богъ) to be interpreted as harmful as a way of explaining the division of the Christian world based on two polar systems – one in which a true Christian can exist, and the other, an 'absence of anything', a non-existence.

In our opinion composite semantics, in the oldest texts, correspond to all the conditions observed when defining syncretism: 1. – " enantiosomy of a verbal sign "[compare боголюбивыи – loving God or favored by God]; "absence of metaphorical relationships based on their similarity" [compare – зъловЬрьнъ, благовЬстити – боговЬстити, благотворити – добротворити, многочьстьнъ – вьсечьстьнъ, etc. where components are definitely in metonymic relationships and connect syntagmatically, rather than paradigmatically]; 2. – the absence of the known degrees of an abstraction, especially in its relationship to a sign [the relationship of meanings in the semantic structure of composite are extremely significant, for example: звЬроядимъ – devoured by animals, зълодЬи doing harm, which , in its turn, is of maximum significance in the oldest texts etc.] [Kolesov 2002: 161].

7. We may notice that many composites function in a hyperonymic role in the oldest texts, as often as possible giving common names for actual phenomena within Christian consciousness. Thus, analyzing the context of word-use in Putyata's Menaion shows that the composite зъловЬриЕ is understood as a hyperonym in the following words: болЬзни, мракота, безакониЕ, бЬсы, страсти, душевьная зима and борениЕ, which later became concepts благовЬриЕ, православиЕ, милосьрдиЕ etc.]. It characterizes both the synchronic and diachronic aspects of the function of composites.

If the whole history of a word is the movement from the clarity of its internal form to its blurring, composites prove a vivid illustration of this process. They accurately represent , as far as is possible, the internal form at the transpirational and formative stage: within their structure a decomposition of the sense set by the Greek source for actual Slavic components within an 'analytical' word in a given context at given stage in the language's development.

However, in these early times the result of such a process is a syncretic, multi-meaning element. It functions, on the one hand, as a text indicator, on the other hand, the name comes to typify a wider Slavic semantic meaning [according to an exclusively Slavic concept] referring to a part of a new rationale. This rationale organically combines earlier pagan characteristics of a world-view with the newer Christian norms and perceptions of the world.

In modern Russian clarity of the composite structure is fixed in terminology where such derivatives are created more often with as much of an internal transparent form as possible – железобетон, серу(о)содержащий, диван-кровать, etc.

Литература:

Булгаков С.Н. [1953], Философия имени, Париж.

Колесов В.В.  [2002], Философия русского слова, Санкт-Петербург.

Мейе А. [2000], Общеславянский язык: пер. с фр./общ. ред. С.Б. Бернштейна, Москва.

Павлов В.М. [1985], Понятие лексемы и проблема отношений синтаксиса и словообразования, Ленинград.