Compound words in the work of the Swiss German-speaking author Urs Widmer “Hand und Fuß – ein Buch”

Abstract

The phenomenon of word composition in the German language is actualized: generally accepted classifications are given and problematic aspects are clarified. The purpose of the study is to consider the use of compound words in a chosen literary text and to define the artistic potential of this word formation. For this purpose, compound words in the text of the Swiss German-speaking writer Urs Widmer are analyzed and systematized in accordance with existing classifications. The methods used are analysis of theoretical approaches, linguistic analysis, methods of corpus linguistics and literary text interpretation. We found that besides complex definitive nouns prevailing in the text there are three-component compound words, compound adjectives and adverbs. A number of compound words used are not recorded in dictionaries, but they can be identified through their components and lexicalized in the language, which is proved by examples from electronic text corpora. As a result of the study, it is revealed that U. Widmer uses lexicalized compound words and creates occasionalisms, including for modeling the expressive mode of narration. The language game with compound words in puns forms the carnival discourse of the “inverted” language; moreover, the use of complex words also enables the author to create an ironic discourse. A compound word as an expressive language unit within the framework of the author’s individual style can be a promising topic for further research at the intersection of linguistics and literary criticism.