Authors
- Ivanova Svetlana V. Doctor of Philology, Professor
- Medvedeva Svetlana N.
Annotation
Currently, the problem of near synonymity in English remains relevant from both theoretical and practical standpoints. Theoretically, resolution to this problem brings about the necessity of uncovering linguo-cognitive mechanisms that lay behind the phenomenon. In second language learning, as well as in translation and editing, understanding of these mechanisms would not only provide means of resolving particular cases of near synonymy but also helps to observe the idiomaticity principle in oral and written communication. The paper aims at identifying functional and semantic potential of near synonymous to be on the verge / edge / brink / point of + NOUN constructions. The research relies on the material obtained from Corpus of Contemporary American English. The selection of the material has been implemented by means of continuous sampling and contextual analysis, semantic classes have been derived by means of semantic clusterisation. The collocates have been ranged based on their log-likelihood score. As a result, the constructions in question prove to form collocation with the nouns, which denote mostly negative phenomena, such as death, destruction, financial losses, etc. The presence of specific clusters cross-constructionally substantiates their synonymy. Stylistically, the constructions with noun collocates of emotions, periods of life, physiological reactions, etc. are most frequently found in fiction while the constructions with noun collocates of social disasters, destruction, warfare, financial collapse are more specific to the press. The current research can be further enhanced with the semantic clusters formed by gerund in to be
on the verge / edge / brink / point of + GERUND constructions.
How to link insert
Ivanova, S. V. & Medvedeva, S. N. (2023). FUNCTIONAL AND SEMANTIC POTENTIAL OF THE NEAR SYNONYMOUS CONSTRUCTIONS ON THE VERGE / EDGE / BRINK / POINT OF + NOUN Bulletin of the Moscow City Pedagogical University. Series "Pedagogy and Psychology", 2023, №2 (50), 69. https://doi.org/10.25688/2076-913X.2023.50.2.06
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