Styles of language are its varieties that serve this or that side of social life. All of them have several common parameters: the purpose or situation of use, the forms in which they exist, and the set of language tools.
The concept itself comes from the Greek word "stilos", which meant a stick for writing. As a scientific discipline, stylistics finally took shape in the twenties of the twentieth century. Among those who thoroughly studied the problems of stylistics were M.V. Lomonosov, F.I. Buslaev, G.O. Vinokur, E.D. Polivanov. D.E. Rosenthal, V.V. Vinogradov, M.N. Kozhina and others paid serious attention to individual functional styles.
Five styles of speech in Russian
Functional styles of the language are certain features of the speech itself or its social variety, specific vocabulary and grammar, which correspond to the field of activity and the way of thinking.
In Russian, they are traditionally divided into five varieties:
- colloquial;
- formal business;
- scientific;
- publicistic;
- art.
The norms and concepts of each depend on the historical era and change over time. Until the 17th century, the spoken and book vocabulary differed greatly. The Russian language became literary only in the 18th century, largely thanks to the efforts of M.V. Lomonosov. Modern language styles began to take shape at the same time.
The birth of styles
In the Old Russian period, church literature, business documents and annals existed. Spoken everyday language was quite different from them. At the same time, household and business documents had much in common. MV Lomonosov made a lot of efforts to change the situation.
He laid the foundation of the ancient theory, highlighting the high, low and medium styles. According to her, the literary Russian language was formed as a result of the joint development of the book and spoken versions. She took as a basis stylistically neutral forms and turns from one and the other, allowed the use of folk expressions and limited the use of little-known and specific Slavisms. Thanks to M.V. Lomonosov, then existing language styles were replenished with scientific ones.
Subsequently, A.S. Pushkin gave impetus to the further development of stylistics. His work laid the foundation for an artistic style.
Moscow orders and Peter's reforms served as the source of the official business language. Ancient annals, sermons and teachings formed the basis of the journalistic style. In the literary version, it began to take shape only in the XVIII century. To date, all 5 language styles are clearly defined and have their own subspecies.
Conversational household
As the name implies, this style of speech is used in everyday communication. Unlike jargon and dialects, it is based on literary vocabulary. Its scope is situations where there is no clear official relationship between the participants. In everyday life, mostly neutral words and phrases are used (for example, “blue”, “horse”, “left”). But you can use words with colloquial coloring ("locker room", "lack of time").
Inside the colloquial, there are three subspecies: household, everyday business, and epistolary. The latter includes private correspondence. Conversational business - an option for communication in a formal setting. The colloquial and official-business styles of the language (a lesson or lecture can serve as another example) in a certain sense share this subspecies among themselves, since it can be attributed both there and there.
Informal communication allows familiar, affectionate and reduced expressions, as well as words with evaluative suffixes (for example, "home", "bunny", "boast"). The conversational and everyday style can be very vivid and figurative due to the use of phraseological units and words with an emotionally expressive connotation (“beat backstage”, “near”, “kid”, “faithful”, “little girl”).
Various abbreviations are widely used - “failure”, “ambulance”, “condensed milk”. Spoken language is simpler than book language - it is inappropriate to use participles and participles, complex multi-compound sentences. In general, this style corresponds to the literary, but at the same time has its own characteristics.
Science style
He, like official business, is very strict in choosing words and expressions, sharply narrows the limits of the permissible. The scientific style of the Russian language does not allow dialecticism, jargon, colloquial expressions, words with emotional coloring. Serves the spheres of science and production.
Since the purpose of scientific texts is to present research data, objective facts, this puts forward requirements for their composition and the words used. As a rule, the sequence of presentation is as follows:
- introduction - setting a task, goal, question;
- the main part is the search and enumeration of answer options, compilation of a hypothesis, evidence;
- conclusion - the answer to the question, achieving the goal.
A work in this genre is built sequentially and logically, it provides two types of information: facts, and how the author organizes them.
The scientific style of the language makes extensive use of terms, prefixes anti-, bi-, quasi-, super-, suffixes -ost, -ism, -nee (antibodies, bipolar, supernova, settledness, symbolism, cloning). Moreover, the terms do not exist on their own - they form a complex network of relationships and systems: from general to particular, from whole to part, gender / species, identity / opposites, and so on.
Mandatory criteria for such a text are objectivity and accuracy. Objectivity excludes emotionally colored vocabulary, exclamations, artistic turns of speech, it is inappropriate to lead a story in the first person. Accuracy is often associated with terms. As an illustration, we can cite an excerpt from Anatoly Fomenko's book Methods of Mathematical Analysis of Historical Texts.
At the same time, the degree of “complexity” of the scientific text depends primarily on the target audience and on the goal - who exactly the work is intended for, how much knowledge these people supposedly have, whether they can understand what is being said. It is clear that at such an event as a school lesson of the Russian language, speech styles and expressions are needed simple, and complex scientific terminology is also suitable for lectures for senior university courses.
Of course, other factors also play a large role - the topic (in technical sciences the language is stricter and more regulated than in the humanities), the genre.
In the framework of this style, there are strict requirements for the design of written works: candidate and doctoral dissertations, monographs, abstracts, term papers.
Substantiated and nuances of scientific speech
In addition to the scientific one, there are also scientific-educational and popular-scientific substrates. Each is used for a specific purpose and for a specific audience. These language styles are examples of different, but at the same time, similar in appearance communicative flows.
The scientific and educational style is a kind of lightweight version of the basic style, on which literature is written for those who have just begun to study a new field. Representatives - textbooks for universities, colleges, schools (senior classes), part of self-instruction books, other literature created for beginners (below is an excerpt from a psychology textbook for universities: authors Slastenin V., Isaev I. et al., “Pedagogy. Textbook ").
The popular science style is easier to understand than the other two. Its purpose is to explain to the audience complex facts and processes in a simple and understandable language. A variety of encyclopedias "101 facts about ..." were written by him.
Official business
Of the 5 styles of the Russian language, this is the most formalized. It is used for communication between states, as well as institutions with each other and with citizens. It is a means of communication between citizens at work, in organizations, in the service sector, to the extent that they fulfill their official duties.
The official business style is classified as book-writing, it is used in texts of laws, orders, orders, contracts, acts, powers of attorney and the like. The oral form is used in speeches, reports, communication in the framework of working relations.
Formal Business Style Features
In the general category there are several sub-styles:
- Legislative . It is used orally and in writing, in laws, regulations, decrees, directions, explanatory letters, recommendations, as well as in instructions, article-by-article and operational comments. It is spoken orally during parliamentary debates and appeals.
- Jurisdictional - exists in oral and written forms, is used for indictments, sentences, arrest orders, court decisions, appeals, procedural acts. In addition, it can be heard during judicial debates, conversations at the reception of citizens, etc.
- Administrative - implemented in writing in orders, charters, decisions, contracts, labor and insurance contracts, service letters, various petitions, telegrams, wills, memos, autobiographies, reports, receipts, shipping documents. The oral form of the administrative sub-style is orders, auctions, commercial negotiations, speeches at receptions, tenders, meetings, etc.
- Diplomatic . This genre in writing can be found in the form of treaties, conventions, agreements, covenants, protocols, personal notes. Oral form - communiqué, memoranda, joint statements.
In the official business style, stable phrases, complex unions and verbal nouns are actively used:
- based…
- in accordance with…
- based…
- due to ...
- by virtue of…
- in view of ...
Only the scientific and formal business styles of the language have clear forms and structure. In this case, this is a statement, resume, memorandum, identity card, marriage certificate and others.
The style is characterized by a neutral tone of narration, direct word order, complex sentences, conciseness, conciseness, lack of individuality. Widely used special terminology, abbreviations, special vocabulary and phraseology. Another highlight is the cliche.
Publicistic
The functional styles of the language are very peculiar. Journalistic is no exception. It is he who is used in the media, in socially-periodical literature, during political, judicial speeches. Most often, his samples can be found in radio and television broadcasts, in newspaper publications, in magazines, booklets, at rallies.
Journalism is intended for a wide audience, therefore, special terms are not often found here, and if they do, they tend to explain them in the same text. It exists not only in oral and written speech - it is also found in photography, cinema, graphic and graphic, theatrical-dramatic and verbal-musical form.
The journalistic style of the language has two main functions: informational and influencing. The first task is to convey facts to people. The second is to form the necessary impression, influence the opinion of events. The information function requires the reporting of reliable and accurate data that are interesting not only to the author, but also to the reader. The acting one is realized through the personal opinion of the author, his calls to action, as well as the way the material is presented.
In addition to specifics for this particular style, there are common features for the language as a whole: communicative, expressive and aesthetic.
Communicative function
Communication is the main and general task of the language, which manifests itself in all its forms and styles. Absolutely all language styles and speech styles have a communicative function. In journalism, texts and speeches are intended for a wide audience, feedback is realized through letters and calls from readers, public discussions, and polls. This requires that the text is understandable to readers and easy to read.
Express function
The journalistic text shows the personality of its author, who can express his attitude to events, share his point of view. In different genres, the author has a different degree of freedom - emotionality is typical for a pamphlet or talk show, but is not welcome in an information note or news release.
Expression should not go beyond reasonable limits - it is necessary to observe the norms of speech culture, and the expression of emotions cannot be the only task.
Aesthetic function
Of all the 5 styles of speech of the Russian language, this function is present in only two. In literary texts, aesthetics plays an important role, in journalism its role is much less. However, reading or listening to a well-designed, thoughtful, harmonious text is much more pleasant. Therefore, it is advisable to pay attention to aesthetic qualities in any of the genres.
Journalism genres
Inside the main style, there are quite a few actively used genres:
- public speaking;
- pamphlet;
- feature article;
- reportage;
- feuilleton;
- interview;
- article and others.
Each of them finds application in certain situations: a pamphlet as a kind of artistic and journalistic work is usually directed against a particular party, social phenomenon or political system as a whole, a report is a prompt and impartial message from the place of events, an article is a genre by which the author analyzes certain phenomena, facts and gives them their own assessment and interpretation.
Art style
All styles of language and styles of speech find their expression through the artistic. It conveys the feelings and thoughts of the author, affects the imagination of the reader. He uses all means of other styles, all the diversity and richness of the language, characterized by imagery, emotionality, concreteness of speech. Used in fiction.
An important feature of this style is aesthetics - here it, unlike journalism, is an indispensable element.
There are four kinds of art style:
- epic;
- lyrical;
- dramatic;
- combined.
Each of these genera has its own approach to displaying events. If we talk about the epic, here the main thing will be a detailed story about the subject or event, when the author himself or one of the characters acts as a storyteller.
In the lyrical narrative, the emphasis is on the impression that the events left the author. Here the main thing will be experiences, what is happening in the inner world.
The dramatic approach depicts a certain subject in action, shows it surrounded by other objects and events. The theory of these three genera belongs to V. G. Belinsky. In the "pure" form, each of the above is rare. Recently, some authors have identified another genus - combined.
In turn, the epic, lyrical, dramatic approaches to the description of events and objects are divided into genres: fairy tale, short story, short story, novel, ode, drama, poem, comedy and others.
The artistic style of the language has its own characteristics:
- a combination of language tools of other styles is used;
- the form, structure, tools of the language are selected in accordance with the intention and idea of ​​the author;
- the use of special figures of speech, which give the text a colorful and imaginative;
- of great importance is the aesthetic function.
Here are widely used paths (allegory, metaphor, comparison, synecdoch) and stylistic figures (default, epithet, epiphora, hyperbole, metonymy).
Artistic image - style - language
The author of any work, not just a literary one, needs means to contact a viewer or reader. Each type of art has its own means of communication. Here the trilogy appears - an artistic image, style, language.
An image is a generalized attitude to the world and life, expressed by the artist using his chosen language. This is a kind of universal category of creativity, a form of interpretation of the world through the creation of aesthetically active objects.
In an artistic way, they also call any phenomenon recreated by the author in a work. Its meaning is revealed only in interaction with the reader or viewer: what a person understands, sees, depends on his goals, personality, emotional state, culture and values ​​in which he was brought up.
The second element of the triad "image - style - language" is related to the special handwriting, characteristic only for this author or the era of the totality of methods and techniques. In art, there are three different concepts: the style of the era (covers a historical period of time, which was characterized by common features, for example, the Victorian time), national (by which we mean features common to a particular people, nation, for example, the Japanese style) and individual ( we are talking about an artist whose work has special qualities not inherent in others, for example, Picasso).
Language in any kind of art is a system of graphic means designed to serve the goals of the author when creating works, an instrument for creating an artistic image. It gives the opportunity to communicate between the creator and the audience, allows you to "draw" an image with the very unique style features.
Each type of creativity uses its own means for this: painting - color, sculpture - volume, music - intonation, sound. Together, they form a trinity of categories - an artistic image, style, language, help to approach the author and better understand what he created.
It must be understood that, despite the differences between them, styles do not form separate, strictly closed systems. They are capable and constantly interpenetrating each other: not only art uses language means of other styles, but also official business has many mutual points with the scientific (jurisdictional and legislative subspecies are close in terminology to similar scientific disciplines).
Business vocabulary penetrates into colloquial speech, and vice versa. The journalistic form of speech in oral and written form is closely intertwined with the sphere of colloquial and popular science styles.
Moreover, the current state of the language is by no means stable. Rather, it will be said that it is in dynamic equilibrium. New concepts are constantly emerging, the Russian dictionary is replenished with expressions that come from other languages.
New forms of words are created using existing ones. The rapid development of science and technology is also actively contributing to the enrichment of the scientific style of speech. Many concepts from the field of science fiction have migrated to the category of completely official terms that refer to certain processes and phenomena. And scientific concepts entered into everyday speech.