Transformation of the semantics of linguistic units in the text: A functional approach

Yu.V. Dorofeev

Crimean Republican Pedagogical Post-Diploma Training Institute, Simferopol, 295001 Russia

E-mail: yuvld@mail.ru

Received June 16, 2020

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DOI: 10.26907/2541-7738.2020.5.48-61

For citation: Dorofeev Yu.V. Transformation of the semantics of linguistic units in the text: A functional approach. Uchenye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta. Seriya Gumanitarnye Nauki, 2020, vol. 162, no. 5, pp. 48–61. doi: 10.26907/2541-7738.2020.5.48-61. (In Russian)

Abstract

Transformations of the semantics of language units in a literary text were studied. Semantic shifts resulting from this process were correlated with individual author’s ideas about the world and were  defined as the most important means of influencing the reader. The research was carried out on the basis of a functional approach, in which the text is considered as a tool of social interaction, the structure of which is subordinated to the main task of the author, i.e., to have a certain impact on the reader’s view of the world.

As a result of the analysis of the empirical material, it was concluded that the perception and understanding of the text are largely determined by the skills that enable identification of the core component in the text, which unites the most significant language units in the text based on their correlation in the initial and final parts of the work. Specific examples were given to show the role of semantic transformations in the process of text perception and their importance for interpretation.

The research confirms the relevance of the problem of studying the functional mechanism of semantic transformations, because the consistent implementation of the functional methods of perception and interpretation of the text in educational practice will be helpful in developing teaching methods that prevent distortion of information extracted from texts.

Keywords: text, function, perception, interpretation, transformation of semantics

Acknowledgments. The study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project no. 18-012-00271).

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