OBSCENE RIDDLES: MECHANISMS OF AMBIGUITY

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of ambiguous meaning encoded in obscene riddles. The means of ambiguity formation are analyzed on examples of French, Spanish, and Ukrainian obscene riddles. The methods of the research include consecutive selection, semantic and contextual analysis, and contrastive analysis. We single out logical and stylistic means of ambiguity, as well as linguistic means, in particular specific lexis in obscene riddles. Logical means act together with stylistic ones and presuppose substitution of the whole by its part and vast use of personifications. We analyze parts of speech, which facilitate the ambiguity in obscene riddles. Special attention is paid to nouns, which designate people, animals, body parts and bodily liquids as well as elements of clothing. Specific verbs, adjectives, and deictic words are of no less importance. The research of obscene riddles conducted in the three languages shows that despite some slight differences, ambiguous meaning of obscene riddles is formed due to the simultaneous influence of several means: 1) specific lexis, which can be interpreted in different ways, or polysemantic words; 2) national symbols, which add new layers of meaning to the semantics of a word; 3) the coincidence of grammatical gender of objects and people represented by these objects; 4) wide use of personifications; 5) substitution of a wide notion by its part. Obscene riddles are an excellent example of language play on words, in which an answer is not less important than a question. The article also investigates genres similar to obscene riddles, thus outlining a field for further research.