Functions of aphoristic units in the Russian language1

Abstract

In modern Russian studies, much attention has been paid to the study of proverbs and catch phrases as the main varieties of language aphorisms (aphoristic units). In this regard, it is relevant to determine their own linguistic characteristics, including functional ones. The aim of the study is to establish and describe the obligatory and optional functions of proverbs and catch phrases as aphoristic units, to establish unique functions of language aphorisms in speech and text. The material of the study includes the most popular proverbs and catch phrases among the units of the paremiological minimum and the basic paremiology used in written speech. The main method in the research is the descriptive method based on functional modelling of language units with the help of contextual and stylistic analysis. It was found that all the basic functions of the language (basic and derivatives) are inherent in proverbs and catch phrases as aphoristic units. The obligatory functions of language aphorisms are communicative, cognitive, nominative and cumulative ones; the optional functions are emotive, metalinguistic, phatic, voluntative, empirical, axiological, referential, aesthetic, and ritual ones; the unique functions are universalizing and style-forming ones. The unique functions of aphoristic units determine each other, are completely and diversely used in fiction, journalistic and scientific-philosophical texts.