Semantics of Unidirectional and Multidirectional Motion in the Lexico-Grammatical System of the Fiction Text (Based on P. Suskind’s Work “Die Geschichte von Herrn Sommer” and Its Russian Translation)

Abstract

The article investigates the textual potential of concrete and multidirectional verbs of motion (based on the original and translated texts of P. Süskind “Die Geschichte von Herrn Sommer”). Textual specificity of verbs of motion is considered with the support of semantic-pragmatic features of the verb subsystems of two languages. For Russian verbs of motion, the concept of direction is relevant, since any movement is carried out in space by a certain trajectory (idti – hodit’, bresti – brodit’, letet’ – letat’, bezhat’ – begat’). In German, this parameter of motion is actualized only in the appropriate context with the help of adverbs of location and direction; prepositional-case constructions; direct complements and separable prefixes. In the semantic field “Movement / Verkehr” with the verb dominant there are lexical groupings, whose members, due to the lexico-grammatical and lexico-semantic valency of verbs, interpret different characteristics of the process of movement. The text's richness in units of different parts of speech with the meaning of motion (primarily verbs) organizes the narrative chronotope of the story: the semantics of space and time is actualized with the help of the lexicon of motion. Each of the main characters is included into the narrative through the description of the peculiarities of their movement. The following movement parameters are essential for the lexico-grammatical organization of the original and translated texts: direction, mode and means of movement, speed, purpose and actions associated with movement. In this textual paradigm, the key role belongs to concrete and multidirectional verbs. The main character lives his life in a constant, energetic, well-directed and aimless movement, unlike other characters, whose movements are determined by fatigue / vigor, vector (up / down, forward/backward), unidirectional and multidirectional, purpose and means of movement. In the semantics of concrete verbs there is a derivative potential seme “purpose of movement,” which, however, is extinguished in the original and translated texts. The main semantic paradox of the text is created by the intra-textual opposition of “a certain direction” and “no purpose” of the movements of the main character.