“Trivial Nonsense” of the Poor Heroes of Dostoevsky (Materials for “Dostoevsky’s Language Dictionary: Idioglossary”)

Abstract

The paper represents lingvo-cultural and semiotic description of the vocabulary, which introduces the everyday life of the poor characters of the F. Dostoevsky’s novels. In this case the procedure of the construction of text associative fields and the concept of idiogloss are used. Associative text fields are built, from one side, around the base concepts of daily activity - HOUSE/DWELLING; CLOTHING; FOOD; MONEY, DEBTS, LOAN; DISEASE, DEATH; WORK, BUSINESS; and idioglosses POVERTY; SHAME; FEAR; PRIDE, THE PINCHED PRIDE; GENTLENESS - on the other hand. These two “measurements” - semantic and pragmatic - make it possible to reconstruct on the texts of Dostoevsky the everyday world of poor characters, to reveal those specific idiosenses, which are concluded in the lexical items being investigated. Besides, the author hopes that such description can become additional material for the creation of the corresponding articles of the «Dostoevsky’s Language Dictionary», which is making now in the V.V. Vinigradov Russian Language University (Russian Science Academy). At the V.V. Vinogradov Russian Language University University of Russian Science Academy in the sector of experimental lexicography under the guidance of Corresponding Member of the Russian Science Academy, Professor Y.N. Karaulov, work on creation of the “F.M. Dostoevsky’s Language Dictionary” has been conducted for many years. At the same time, collections of articles are published - “The Word of Dostoevsky”, viewed as a kind of “extension” of “Dostoevsky’s Language Dictionary”. The authors of the collection should implement the overall thrust of the research results as a guide - the solution of interpretational, hermeneutic tasks. Meanwhile it is also important to identify and describe the vocabulary that is “significant” for interpretation of Dostoevsky’s texts and idioglosses in particular, i.e. such lexical units that are important for understanding, for deciphering and interpreting of the meaning of his literary works, for characterizing his author’s style (idiostyle), for recreating his picture of the world, his universal and national ideals .