Comparative constructions in modern Russian prose: the evolution of figurative comparison

Abstract

The research explores the changes undergone by comparative figurative meaning constructions (metaphorical and similative) in modern prose texts in comparison with earlier periods of Russian literature development. The article aims to identify trends in the evolution of comparative constructions in modern Russian prose. The need for a multidimensional description of linguistic processes in modern literary speech determines the relevance of the study. One such process is the evolution of figurative comparison in comparative constructions. We analysed the material of the works by such modern Russian prosaists as Yu. Buyda, V. Zalotukha, Ye. Vodolazkin, A. Ivanov, Z. Prilepin, A. Ilichevsky, T. Kibirov, A. Matveyeva, O. Slavnikova, M. Stepnova, D. Rubina, G. Yakhina and others. Additionally, we used contexts obtained from the National Corpus of the Russian Language. The research employed descriptive, structural-semantic, and comparative methods. The main attention is given to the appearance of new elements in the traditional range of comparative metaphorical and similative constructions. They denote realities which have recently emerged, including those related to computer technology and terms from various fields of science. The article concludes that in modern prose texts, the range of figurative comparative constructions is expanding on the basis of genus-species and synonymic relations. The revival of comparative constructions is accompanied by frequent concretisation of figurative comparisons, which increases the size of such constructions. As a result, they can include one-word definitions, semi-predicative phrases, and subordinate clauses. Thus, the figurative comparison becomes detailed and multidimensional. At the same time, there is a tendency to a stylistic degradation of figurative comparison used in modern Russian prose.