Specifiсity of the lexico-phraseological potential of the imaginery of the language of historical figures speeches of T. Livy’s work “History”

Abstract

Modern linguistics is characterized by an increased interest in the study of the problems of rhetoric, which is most closely intertwined with poetics, stylistics, and logic. A valuable material in this regard is the work of the famous Roman historiographer Titus Livy “History”. The speeches of historical figures that the author introduces into this work are classic examples of oratory. There are many works devoted to the study of the linguistic features of speeches of other decades of the work. The speeches of the first decade remained outside the field of view of researchers. In this context, a comprehensive analysis of the lexical and phraseological means of the imagery of speeches of the first decade from the point of view of their argumentative role is of particular importance; this is the purpose of our study. The study shows that the most common type of phraseological units of speech are phraseological or stable phrases, which, in accordance with their lexical composition, were divided into the following groups: noun – verb; noun – adjective; noun – noun. A bright emotional and expressive coloring is characteristic of the maxims of speeches, phraseological units, as a rule, perform a nominative or expressive function. The article outlines that the sources of imagery formation are metaphorization, and the means of creating images are tropes, which the author skillfully uses for the purpose of argumentation. Metaphors based on the phenomenon of anthropomorphism prevail. T. Livy creates not too erased and not too refined metaphors, but those that would meet the aesthetic tastes of the readers. Metonymy and synecdoche in speeches emphasize the main thing, give the statement a generalized meaning. In the author’s usage there are exaggerated metaphors, epithets, comparisons. In the texts of speeches, we find litoty of two types: tapeynosis and meiosis. The article highlighted epithets and studied them in detail. Quantitatively, epithets that express the external sign of objects or phenomena, as well as those that determine the psychological characteristics of a person or phenomenon, prevail. This allows us to draw a conclusion about the author’s deeply psychological worldview. Research into these and permanent epithets allows a deeper understanding of the author’s intention. It was in the epithets that the idea of “History” and the individuality of the writer were reflected with special force.