Linguistic categories and their types. Text as a linguistic category. Language categories and problems of linguistic categorization

In the article we will consider the main linguistic categories, we give examples. You will learn that in linguistics different associations are distinguished, according to which it is possible to classify certain units.

What is category

The very concept of "category" was first developed by Aristotle. In particular, he singled out 10 categories. Let us list them: suffering, action, state, position, time, place, attitude, quality, quantity, essence. In many ways, their allocation affected the subsequent inventory of various predicates, predicates, sentence members and parts of speech.

Concept category

Before considering language categories and problems of linguistic categorization, it is necessary to clarify this term. It is usually understood as a certain closed system of meanings of a semantic universal attribute or a specific value of a given attribute outside of the relation to the mode of expression ("explicit" or "hidden") and the degree of their grammaticalization in a given language. For example, we can talk about the availability of the following conceptual categories: alienability / inalienability, activity / inactivity, reason, place, purpose, etc. Linguistic and semantic linguistic categories exist in linguistics. By them are meant classes such as names of states, professions, living beings, etc. If the word-formative formal expression receives a categorizing sema, linguistic categories are called derivational. Examples are the following: diminutive names (pancake-chic, smoke-ok, house-ik), names of the figure (run-un, teacher, teacher).

Linguistic categories in the broad and narrow sense

Language categories are associations that can be considered in both a broad and a narrow sense. In the first case, these are any groups of elements that are allocated based on a common property. In a narrow sense, language categories are certain parameters (attributes) underlying the breakdown of homogeneous units into a certain number of disjoint classes. Their members are characterized by some meaning of one or another characteristic. Examples: category of species, case, animation / inanimity, deafness / voicelessness, etc. However, often this term denotes one of the values of a given parameter (characteristic). Examples: the category of inanimate, accusative, state, deafness, perfect appearance.

Types of categories by different characteristics

Depending on the nature of the corresponding feature and the set allocated by it, as well as its relation to the partition classes, it is possible to distinguish between different types of categories. A set may include phonemes that are homogeneous units. In this case, different phonological linguistic categories are distinguished. This, for example, distinguishes by deafness / voicedness. Another example is the category of stop consonants. The differential phonetic characteristic is classified in this case.

A set divided into categories may include bilateral units. Usually they are sentences, phrases and words. In this case, the word-forming, lexical-semantic, syntactic, grammatical and other categories are distinguished. According to a certain semantic or syntactic sign, classification is carried out. It can be both syntactical, semantic, and generally categorical (this word is often understood as "referring to parts of speech").

Classifying and modifying traits

There are other signs. In relation to the classes of partitioning, they are divided into classifying (selective, integral) and modifying (flexionic, differential). The attribute for some object is modifying, when it corresponds to an element of some other class of partition, which differs from it only in the value of this attribute. This correspondence is called the opposition. If this is not observed, for the corresponding element the characteristic is classifying. In which case can we speak of varieties of some more general unit that varies according to a given feature? Let's answer this question. Then, when the elements differ from each other only by the values of one or another modifying characteristic. As for the classifier, its value is constant, fixed for a given unit.

Modifying and categorizing categories

In a number of cases, for most elements of the set, the characteristic is modifying. Then the category as a whole is also called modifying. For example, these are inflectional (inflectional) categories. They include the case and number of the noun, case, number, genus of the adjective, inclination, time, person, number of the verb genus. If for a sufficient number of elements a categorical attribute is classifying, then the category as a whole will be the same. For example, this is a lexico-semantic category. Examples: animate, gender and parts of the noun's speech, transitivity / intransitivity, nominal verb classes, etc.

"Rules" and "exceptions"

The type to which a category should be assigned depends on which classification of the language units was originally, as well as on what is the "rule" for a particular class, and what can be called an "exception". For example, we can assume that in the Russian language for some classes of verbs, the category of the form is inflectional (modifying), and for its other classes - word-formative (classifying). Or you can take one of these decisions for a whole class of verbal lexemes. Note that they are all represented in Russian.

Offer categories

Studying the paradigmatic relations existing in the syntax, many researchers use the concepts of "communicative-grammatical categories" or "categories of the sentence". They are understood as semantic differential signs of certain proposals (syntactic modality, affirmation / negation, purpose of the utterance). Less often, we can talk about the individual values of these characteristics (for example, the category of negation). A number of researchers, in particular N. Yu. Shvedova, propose a different concept. They talk about phraseological categories. There are other concepts.

Grammatical Categories

Grammatical linguistic categories and their types are among the most studied and most important. Their characteristic features are the modifying type of the attribute taken as a basis, its involvement in the syntax, the presence of the regular way in which it is expressed, and the "compulsion" of the choice for (the word) of the forms belonging to a given aggregate, one of its meanings. Grammatical categories are closed systems of values that exclude each other. They define a partition into disjoint classes of an extensive set of word forms. For example, such grammatical meanings as a plural or singular number form in their totality the category of a number.

The concept of text

Before considering the linguistic categories of the text, let's define the key concept. The text is an object of a multidimensional study in linguistics, but in the special literature so far this concept is interpreted differently. There is also a generally accepted definition. Therefore, consider the one that is most common.

The text in general form is characterized as a product of the specific activity of people (rechemislitelnoy). The latter can arise both in the process of indirect and direct communication, and in the process of cognition of the surrounding reality by man.

Text as a linguistic category

Its units form components (structural elements), being expanded into a separate proposal or their groups. The sentence (text system, phrase, utterance) is the main element of the text. It is realized and perceived as related to other proposals. That is, it is a component of the text, part of the whole. The sentence is its smallest communicative unit.

SSC (SFU)

In the structure of the text , however, proposals are sometimes combined into groups, with different researchers having different names. VA Buchbinder, for example, calls them phrasal ensembles and phraseological unity. Complex syntactic integers (SCS) consider them NS Pospelov, AP Peshkovsky, SG Ilenko, LM Losev. Superfretic Unities (SFU) are called TM Nikolaeva, OI Moskalskaya, IR Galperin. For the purpose of assigning a group of related sentences, SFU and SCC are most often used. These are very complex structural units that consist of at least two independent proposals that have a semantic integrity in the context of coherent speech, and also act as part of a complete communication.

Free and strong sentences

Note that in the text structure, not all proposals are grouped together. Stand out and free, which are not included in them, but are connected by semantic relations with this or that group. They contain comments, authorial digressions. Such proposals serve as a link between the SSC, are a means by which a new micro-topic is designated.

Some researchers, in addition, identify strong sentences in the text. They can be understood without knowing the content of others. Such proposals in the SCC are not included.

Communicative blocks and larger associations

What other language categories can I choose? Groups of proposals are grouped into even larger units. They are called in various studies either by fragments or by predicative-relational complexes. Another common name is communicative blocks.

Associations are even larger. They link to the following sections of the text: chapter, part, paragraph, paragraph.

So, the sentences and their groups are the main communicative elements of the text. All the others perform, as a rule, a text-forming function. They are usually means of interphase communication. Let's give a definition to this concept.

Interphase communication

It is a link between the SSC, proposals, chapters, paragraphs and other parts of the text that organizes its structural and semantic unity. At the same time, the semantic connection between individual sentences is provided with the help of lexical and grammatical means. It is often a question of parallel or chain communication. The latter is realized by repeating a member of the previous sentence in one form or another, deploying in the subsequent part of its structure. Proposals for parallel communication are not linked, but are compared. In this case, the parallelism of the constructions makes it possible to make an opposition or comparison, depending on the corresponding lexical content.

Means of implementing various types of communication

With the help of language tools, each of the types of communication is realized . For example, particles, conjunctions, introductory words, etc. are used to connect parts of the text. To implement a chain link between sentences, synonyms, syntactic repetitions, words with spatial and temporal meaning, pronouns, etc. are used in the SSC. As for the parallel connection, it is appropriate for its implementation Parallelism in the construction of proposals. It is expressed in the use of verbs having a common temporal plane, anaphoric elements, the same order of words, and so on.

Linguistic categories of creolized texts

They are characterized by the same categories as for the so-called classical verbal homogeneous texts. It is necessary to clarify the concept of "creolization". This is the combination of various means of sign systems in a complex that meets the condition of textuality. Pictorial components refer to the means by which the creolization of verbal texts is carried out. They have a significant impact on their interpretation and on all the technical issues associated with the design of the text that affect their meaning. The following are distinguished among them: background, color and font of the text, punctuation, spelling, word formation, graphic design (in a column, in the form of a figure), printed iconic symbols (ideograms, pictograms), etc.

The text is thus a specific structure, where parts and individual sentences are interrelated. Linguistic and logical categories are a topic that can be opened for a very long time. We have tried to highlight the most important, what every philologist needs to know.