Medieval Eastern Europe: New books and thoughts

Abstract. The article in question explores how various aspects of medieval Russian history are presented in the two recent books - A History of Russia in 4 Vols. Volume 1 (Moscow 2018) and A New Imperial History of Northern Eurasia Vol. 1 (Moscow 2017). Thus, the article comments on the presentation and evaluation of the facts and approaches to them. Key point of criticism is related to the image of the Slavic community in the first book and the apparent limitations of the comparisons presented with the common European historical context. Despite the abovementioned drawback the books leave a generally positive impression and make a significant contribution to the topic, address a wide readership and stimulate further academic inquiry.
Keywords: Ancient Russia, Eastern Europe, Middle Ages, community, princes.

Socio-economic Development of Russian Regions under post-Covid-19 conditions

Abstract. The article deals with issues of socio-economic development of Russia as a whole and in the regional context. The COVID-19 the pandemic and the lockdown have seriously affected key performance indicators of economic development in many Russian regions. Forecasts of the leading rating agencies, as well as the Federal State Statistics Service of Ministry of Economic Development suggest an optimistic scenario, provided that the lockdown restrictions will be completely lifted. Demographic processes in the region are also subject to significant fluctuations, which is confirmed by the data from Moscow region.
Keywords: macroeconomic indicators of socio-economic development of regions, region’s economic health, demographic processes.

Syntactic functions of Russian pronouns ty and vy

Abstract. Pronouns ‘ty’ and ‘vy’ function in speech as subjects, appellatives, vocative sentences as well as numerous syncretic formations. The article deals with difficult cases of qualifying sentences with pronouns. The article focuses on semantic convergence of appellatives and appositions, appellatives and vocative fragments and conditions for transformation of appeals into vocative sentences. The author places particular emphasis on the structures with prepositional vocative fragment of the type ‘Ey / Ekh ty/vy’, which are classified either as interjectional or vocative sentences, which are differentiated by the presence / absence of a comma between the interjection and the pronoun. Using a transitivity scale, the author describes the atypical complex asyndetic sentencs, which is in the area of syncretism between the typical units - simple and complex sentences. Location of such sentences on the scale of transitivity depends on the degree of semantic and structural significance vocative fragments. Special remarks are made about the punctuation in the syncretic sentences with pronouns ‘ty’ and ‘vy’.
Keywords: ‘ty’ and ‘vy’ pronouns, appellative, vocative sentence, vocative fragment, scale of transitivity, syncretism of appellatives and vocative sentences.

The role of transitivity in resolving difficult spelling issues

Abstract. The article focuses difficult cases in spelling derivative prepositions caused by the syncretism of speech and language facts. The article explains the process of transition of preposition-case forms of abstract nouns into derivative prepositions with differentiated meaning. The word form that broke away from the paradigm of the noun and turned into an preposition often coexistss with the noun as homonymous form with both being used side by side. Using the scale transitivity we have identified the model of denominal prepositions formation: substantive with noun semantics – substantive with the function of modifier – adverb – derivative preposition – sematic composite conjunction. Examples were retrieved from the Russian National Corpus, an Electronic Dictionary, compiled at the Institute of Russian Language.
Keywords: spelling of derivative prepositions, syncretism of speech and language facts, contemporary processes of transitions of preposition-case forms of abstract nouns into derived prepositions.

On variation in language and speech

Abstract. The problem of variability in Russian linguistics has traditionally been studied in correlation with the concept of ‘language norm’.
The paper attempts to build a discourse on variability in language and speech in correlation with the interpretation of the concept of the norm.
The norm is viewed with respect to the word as a unit of the lexical system (resource unit of language) and the syntactic system (a unit for generating thoughts in a certain speech situation). In order to determine the semantic resource of language variation we need to differentiate the concept of variant as a linguistic unit which marks a speech situation, and variation as a unit having or not having a semantic potential for transformation into a variable unit in the speech environment.
The concept of variant is viewed within the boundaries of the definition of the norm in relation to the word as a unit of the lexical system. Within the limits of the definition of the norm with respect to the word, variation acts as a syntactic, resource which adapts its semantic potential.
Keywords: Norm, variant, variation, lexical system, syntactic unit.

Conversational definitions models: a logical nad grammatic perspective

Abstract. The paper presents two models of colloquial definitions. Conditionally-temporal model (N1 – eto kogda ...) with the meaning of ‘the subject and characteristic by the condition of existence’ – a colloquial definition, in which the name is determined using the functor eto kogda (it is when) and the utterances the structure of which corresponds to one or more subordinate units with complex sentence unverbalized main clause. Constructions of this type are found in the the late 19th century Russian prose. They are common in modern colloquial speech and Internet communication. Complement model (N 1 / Pron – eto pro (it is about) N 4 ) with the meaning ‘the subject and characteristics by its informative content’ – colloquial definition, in which the name is determined by a functor and other name. Structures of this type are typical of modern Russian colloquial speech and oral communication in the media.
Keywords: colloquial definition, logical and figurative definition, conditional-temporal and complement model bisubstantive sentence, characterization, syncretism, mentative.

‘Svetlo kak dnyom’: a set phrase in the structure of impersonal sentence

Abstract. The article presents an analysis of set expressions svelto (vidno) kak dnyom and temno (cherno) kak nochyu. Particular attention is paid to their functioning as a part of impersonal sentence. The author comes to the conclusion that the idioms with the semantics of comparison and antonyms, formed according to single model, exhibit a number of common features, and similarity both at the level of semantics and syntax, as well as in the functional and pragmatic aspect.
Keywords: set expression, comparative idiom, impersonal sentence, accompanying word, basis of comparison, predicative, state category.

Vidno and slyshno predicatives in clauses with conjunctions chto and kak

Abstract. The present article is a comparative study of how the semantics and syntactical features of the conjunctions vidno and slyshno are expressed in complement clauses. It appears that the conjunctions chto and kak express either the semantics of mentality or perception of the predicative. Thus, the predicative vidno is characterized by semantic syncretism and slyshno mostly expresses perceptive meanings.
Keywords: predicative, complement clause, perceptual, syncretism, semantics.