Proper Botanical Vocabulary in Folklore Texts of Rivne Region: Semantic and Stylistic Aspect

Abstract

This article elucidates the study results of the lexical composition of the dialect sayings, which are of particular interest due to various changes in the speech of dialect-speakers, reflected in their vocabulary.

The purpose of the study is to analyze botanical lexemes that are valuable lexical and thematic group for language learning, and determine the degree of saturation of the folklore texts by it and the peculiarities of these lexemes combination, with an emphasis on the semantic and stylistic potential of flower lexemes in the folklore of Rivne region.

The author highlights various aspects of the theoretical foundations of the study of locally-marked lexemes in the language of literature, researchers’ findings concerning the Ukrainian dialectal floronomes, in particular, the role of phytonomes in prose and poetic texts.

The case study involves lexemes which represent the names of plants in the folklore texts of the Rivne region, and aims at identification of the nomination specificity in this lexical and thematic group. It was found out that floronomes form a rich in its repertoire thematic group of vocabulary, where the degree of representation and nominative variability of its units is different.  Phytonames, which are presented in folklore texts of Rivne region, can be divided into several lexical and semantic groups: trees and bushes, medicinal plants, cereal plants, wild plants, decorative plants, aquatic plants, agricultural plants. Their recorded number is 33 units (12 – trees and bushes, 4 – medicinal plants, 3 – cereal plants, 3 – wild plants, 7 – decorative plants, 1 – aquatic plant, and 3 – agricultural plants).

The functional activity of the LSG is characterized by the following quantitative indicators (70 word-usages in total):  dendrolexems – 29 word-usages, including willow – 7 fixations, viburnum – 6 fixations, oak – 2 fixations, blackthorn – 4 fixations, cherry, sweet cherry, hazel, birch – 1 fixation per each, elderberry – 3 fixations, sycamore – 3 fixations; names of herbaceous plants – 26 fixations, including violets, forget-me-nots, marigolds, lily, tobacco, sedge, mint, rue – 1 fixation per each, asters – 3 fixations, rose  – 2 fixations, reed – 4 fixations, chamomile – 5 fixations, hops – 4 fixations;  names of agricultural crops – 15 fixations, in particular wheat – 5 fixations, beets – 7 fixations, buckwheat – 2 fixations and rye – 1 fixation.  Dendrolexems such as willow - 7 fixations and viburnum - 6 fixations manifested the highest frequency. The study identifies also the peculiarities of figurative use of plant names with certain stylistic guidelines.  In poetic speech, floro-lexemes acquire specific features as figurative-aesthetic and artistically significant elements of language.  The figurative nature of phytonomes is mainly related to the traditions of folk song lyrics, the elements of ancient beliefs of the Slavs, and is subject to individual and authorial interpretation. But not all units of the floristic vocabulary are equally active in the stylistic function. Floristic names act as a productive means of creating a stylistic expression of the text and give it an emotional coloring either of minor or major sounding.