The Expansion of the Preposition pro in Modern Russian Speech, or The Latest Russian Rhetoric

Abstract

The article notes the tendency towards the preferred choice of the preposition pro (about) (instead of o) in modern Russian speech. The above said leads to a change in the compatibility of the accusative word form with the explanatory meaning, to an expansion of the range of verbs and nouns that control this form. The use of the word forms in names is updated (in different communicative spheres). Observations on the use of the so-called “The Accusative of theme” in media speech allowed us to identify different communicative intentions of the speaker, which are marked by the word form pro (about) N4: fixation of the topic, announcement, continuation and development, return to the topic, change of topic, forecast, clarification, accentuation. In addition, as part of the predicate, the word form with the preposition pro (about) is used as a means of the object of speech / thought characterization. In these syntactic conditions, a new way of defining the concept is formed: X eto pro (is about) N4, as well as a new question: What is X about? They are actively used in speech by adherents of the newest rhetorical canon – as opposed to the traditional one.