Title of the article:

CONCEPTUAL FIELD GENERATING PRINCIPLE IN G. P. MELNIKOV’S LINGUISTIC THEORY

Author(s):

Olga I. Valentinova

Mikhail A. Rybakov 

Information about the author/authors

Olga I. Valentinova — DSc in Philology, Professor, People`s Friendship University of Russia, Miklukho-Maklay St. 6, 117198 Moscow, Russia. E-mail: valentinova_oi@pfur.ru

Mikhail A. Rybakov — PhD in Philology, Associate Professor, People`s Friendship University of Russia, Miklukho-Maklay St. 6, 117198 Moscow, Russia. E-mail: rybakov_ma@pfur.ru

Section

Philological sciences

Year

2019

Volume

Vol. 51

Pages

pp. 168–183

Received

January 20, 2019

Date of publication

March 28, 2019

Index UDK

81-13

Index BBK

81.0

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to identify the principle of generating conceptual fields in the theory of G. P. Melnikov — the founder of modern systemic linguistics. By addressing the entire corpus of texts written by a scientist, including unpublished works, the authors objectify this principle in the modern scientific context, revealing the dynamic content of the nuclear notion of systemic linguistics — determinant). One of the key issues of the G. P. Melnikov, establishment of the determinant of the inflectional type, was explored in systemic linguistics primarily on the material of Slavic languages. Special attention is paid to the interrelation of such notions of systemic linguistics as substance, structure and function, and their specific interpretation based on the general principles of systemology. Typological changes of language in diachrony are considered by systemic linguistics as a chain of causes and effects linking the external conditions of communication in a language with the regular transformations of its material and structure. That is why the article analyzes in detail the concept of determinant and the field of mutually attracting concepts: external, internal, initial, current, and ultimate determinants. Further, the determinant is considered as one of the key concepts not only of linguistics, but also of the general theory of systems ‒ as a universal feature of any self-regulating adaptive system. The authors define determinant of the language system in relation to its communicative function, taking into account two approaches: synthesizing and differentiating, which allow to show the integrity and significance of the determinant and, on the other hand, to link it with specific parameters of phonology, grammar and semantics of the language. The next section of the article deals with consideration of the determinants of four traditional morphological types identified by G. P. Melnikov. The selection of these typical determinants allowed G. P. Melnikov to concretize the concept of the inner form of a language. The type determinant is revealed through a systemic set of parameters: characteristics of the language community, informational subjects, the degree of awareness of the community members about what is happening inside the language community. As a result the concept of determinant, in terms of systemic typology of languages, turns out to be closely related to the concepts of substance, structure and function of a language, conditions and parameters of communication, and the concept of the grammatical type of a language. The study shows that the descriptive and explanatory language model developed in systemic linguistics is a system of interrelated concepts, the content of which even today is beyond the competence of existing professional dictionaries and is not included in the apperceptive background of a linguist who is not directly familiar with the scientific heritage of G. P. Melnikov.

Keywords

system, system linguistics, determinant, linguistic typology, terminology, history of linguistics, semantics.

References

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