Comparative and superlative degrees of comparison of adjectives and adverbs as a means of representation of the center of the functional-semantic field of comparativity (based on modern publicistic texts of in the German and Russian languages)

Abstract

The relevance of the selected topic is substantiated by rapid development of the functional vector in modern linguistics and its impact upon the nature of contrastive research. Shift in the focus of attention is associated by the scholars’ pursuit to view the linguistic phenomena and facts from the perspective of their functionality in speech. The characteristic feature of the research conducted by modern linguists is the application of field approach towards studying the linguistic phenomena. The starting point within the framework of this approach is certain common meaning; it is followed by determination of the various linguistic means for expressing this meaning. A number of scholars, including L. G. Popova, L. M. Shatilova, I. S. Kalyatin, and A. V. Shatalov, in their works conduct a linguistic analysis of linguistic means  that function within the boundaries of functional-semantic field of comparativity based on the material of cognate and non-cognate languages. The object of this research is the grammatical means of expressing comparativity in the German and Russian languages. The subject of this research is the semantics and structure of the central components of functional-semantic field of comparativity in the languages under consideration. The goal lies in revealing the common and distinctive features in the formation and use of comparative and superlative forms in the German and Russian languages. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that this article is first to examine the category of comparativity on the material of German and Russian languages, and the representative grammatical means that form the core of functional-semantic field of comparativity, using the texts of modern journals and newspapers. It is determined that the core of functional-semantic field of comparativity in the German and Russian languages lies in comparative and superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs.