Russian Particle Prosto (‘Simply’): the Expantion of Functions

Abstract

The lexical means of marking expressiveness: modal particles, adverbials are analyzed. The Russian particle/adverb prosto ‘simply’ is highlighted but German English and Polish equivalents are also taken into consideration. The case of metaphorization based on the concept ‘simple’ is under investigation. In other words this paper intends to make input into the answer to the question: ‘What are the features of lexis that make it possible of figurative thinking in the sphere of expressivity? The idea of simplicity is rather common for means expressing emphasizing and implication in some (not all anyway) languages: Rus. Prosto Fr. (tout) simplement, Germ. einfach Eng. Simply The metaphorical shift in the situation of emphasizing X prosto Y can be reconstructed in this way: ‘there are many ways of evaluating X, X can be named Y and one does not need other, more complicated means’. The meaning of causality (as it often occurs with particles) is mostly based on implicated cause, and that makes it possible to use this particle even when the causal relation is not evident. Rather often the idea of the cause needs a chain of implication: Mozhno? Ya prosto xotela sprosit; May I come in? I just wished to ask’(3). ‘I ask the permission to enter, (because I need something here), and this is to ask for something that I find not complicated,(so the cause of my ask for the permition is a simple desire to get some information)”. In such examples the function of the particle is similar to adverbials (as actually) or even hesitators. The function of hesitators is being developed later than others. This fact can be described in terms of microdiachrony. The conclusion about the importance of describing the system of connections in the language, reflecting the specifics of changing the prototypic meaning in different languages is made.