LEXICAL AND GRAMMATICAL FEATURES OF FINAL ETIQUETTE FORMULAS IN RUSSIAN LETTERS OF THE XVIII CENTURY

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to define the lexical and grammatical features of the final etiquette formulas in Russian letters of the 18th century, to describe the functional and semantic types of formulas, to characterize their syntactic structure. The object of study is letters addressed to different persons by the outstanding Russian commander A. V. Suvorov and Princess E. R. Dashkova. The research material is 120 enclosed etiquette formulas extracted from letters with a continuous sampling method. The descriptive method of research has been used in the article. Practical application is possible in the process of teaching the stylistics of the Russian language. Conclusions: The final etiquette formulas are an important structural element of the ending of a letter, usually preceding the signature of the addressee. We have identified the following functional-semantic types of final etiquette formulas in Russian letters of the 18th century: 1) formulas of forgiveness; 2) formulas of wishes (wishes of physical and mental health, God's help and blessing); 3) parakinesthetic final etiquette formulas (verbal transmission of a gesture or an action); 4) honorific final etiquette formulas (direct or indirect indication by the addressor the addressee's positive qualities). The basis of the construction of the final etiquette formulas often lies in one or another speech cliche, however these cliches are spread by dependent syntactic components, as a result of which the final etiquette formulas in the letters under study are diverse in their syntactic structure. The perspective of the present study is in the research of the dynamics of the final etiquette formulas of writing in the epistolary of the 18th – 20th centuries, as well as in a more detailed explanation of the pragmatics and functioning of the etiquette formulas depending on the nature of the communicative situation.