What is a periphrase, examples of its use in colloquial speech and fiction

The expressiveness and beauty of the Russian language was admired by Lomonosov, Derzhavin, Gogol, Turgenev, Tolstoy and many other writers, poets, whose life and creative activity were directly related to the word. They noted his euphony, rich, varied vocabulary, expanded semantics, allowing them to use all the figurative and expressive means so skillfully.

Acquaintance with the concept

What is such a linguistic phenomenon as periphrase? We find examples of it quite often in everyday communication and in artistic speech. If you hear someone instead of the word “moon” says “queen of the night” or “night star”, and instead of “stars” - “guiding lights”, “pearls” and “precious placers”, then know that you’ve encountered with the mentioned concept. In art, the ancient Greeks singled it out, they gave it a definition: "an expression that describes one phenomenon with the help of another." That is, the allegory, “one instead of the other” - so literally in Greek sounds “periphrase”. Examples of such “around the bush” (another translation-interpretation) are quite easy to find. Yes, at least the famous Pushkin’s appeal to the sea: “Farewell, free element!”

Periphrase - Paraphrase

The means of verbal expressiveness, which is discussed in the article, people ignorant of the art paths are often confused with paraphrase - a word that is very similar in sound, but having a completely different meaning. This term refers to different types of retelling of the text: detailed, abbreviated, adapted, transcriptions from poetry to prose and vice versa. Various comments, including scientific texts, also belong to it. Periphrase has a completely different purpose. Examples of it in speech are in many ways similar to the role of pronouns in grammar. Both linguistic phenomena do not name objects, signs, but point to them: “he” instead of “man” and “one-armed bandit” instead of “slot machine”.

Speech Expression

There are quite a lot of pathways that descriptively express some concepts with the help of others. These are metaphors, puns, and comparisons. A special place among them is periphrase. The examples identified in colloquial speech and literary texts make it possible to classify the phenomenon into logical subgroups and figurative ones. In logical, the descriptive moment is based on explicit, visible, easily distinguishable relations between objects, phenomena, events. And in figurative ones - on a system of associations and hidden unifying links. What is logical periphrase? Examples in Russian are quite easy. This is the "author of" The Hero of Our Time "instead of" Lermontov ", and" green spaces "instead of" plants ". Their distinguishing feature is wide distribution, transparency of lexical meaning, stereotypical reproduction.

Word art

A somewhat different kind of figurative periphrase. Examples from fiction help reveal its essence as accurately as possible. If someone is called Oblomov, it will become clear that this means such human qualities as laziness, lack of desire to do something, idle daydreaming. Plyushkin has long been synonymous with avarice in its highest manifestation, Moscow native speakers of the Russian language are often called "White Stone", and St. Petersburg - the words of Pushkin: "Peter the creation." In this case, we are not dealing with a periphrase in its pure form, but with its fusion with other paths: metaphor and comparison. Often they are realized (i.e., having lost their pronounced figurative meaning), deployed or hidden.

Two in one

What is more interesting about the periphrase? Examples from literature and colloquial speech prove its connection with another linguistic phenomenon - euphemism, more precisely, the imposition of one concept on another. In what cases does this happen? If it is necessary to replace a rude, stylistically reduced word with another, more “noble” one. For example, instead of "coughing" they say "clear the throat", instead of "fart" - "spoil the air." A prostitute is called a “woman of easy virtue”, “heterosexual”, “representative of an ancient profession”, “Messalina”. The process of cleansing the sinuses - the beautiful expression "use a handkerchief", etc. Euphemisms appeared and became fixed in the language at a time when its literary norms were actively formed, there was a struggle for cleanliness and correctness. Even Lomonosov, with his theory of the "three calm", drew a sharp line between "high", "medium" and "low" vocabulary. It was believed that sophisticated and educated nobles were worthless to use rudeness in speech. And although the teaching of Lomonosov primarily concerned

literature, genera and genres, it has found the widest application in society.

There is another reason for the appearance of euphemisms: periphrasis is subjective in nature and is determined by religious and cult factors. For example, instead of “devils” in Russia, especially among the people, it was customary to say “unclean” or “crafty”. It was believed that such names would not attract undue attention from otherworldly forces, and they, in turn, would not annoy the “divine souls”. In the same way, the peasants did not utter the words “brownie” out loud, calling him “master”, “grandfather”, “assistant”. Quite often the word "Sam" was found. They believed that otherwise the brownie would be offended and begin to dirty them. And if you call it “right”, then in this way you can appease the spirit, which will certainly bring good luck to the house.