The language game in titles in popular scientific publications (on the material of texts of modern russian scientists-popularists)

Abstract

This article deals with the use of language game peculiarities in the genre of contents of popular scientific publications, which's authors cares about demonstrate text’s fascination for a non-expert reader at the stage of preliminary acquaintance with the text. It has been shown that in recent years in conditions of reached on new type of recipient, in popular scientific publicationsare used different kinds of stylistic devices and expressive means, which reinforce artistic part of the text on different stratums of the text. One of the most effective devices using in the headings of chapters and paragraphs is language game which helps to interest a reader in reading a text. This research made on the material of 250 book’s titles with different subjects written byRussian popularizing scientists. The authors identify and describe functions of language game in the contents of popular scientific publications which provide: the establishment of the atmosphere of normal communication with reader; drawing attention to a headline; creating interest in the subsequent reading of the text, demonstrating of its availability to the addressee. Identified a lot of creative techniques in headlines among which is: transformation of the text with preservation of its recognition; using of metaphor including extended metaphor; language game based on rhetorical questions; language game based on simile; principle of demetaphorization; punning rethinking of usual words; playing on meaning of usual word; using of chiasmus and ect. The use of linguistic devices of language game and frequency of it using in titles are shown, as well as linguistic creativity potential and mechanisms of its action describes. It demonstrated that deviations from the linguistic standards, made by language game in contents, alters the attitude of reader towards the text which doesn’t treats as difficult and starts to arouse the interest.