The Dialogical Subgenres of Argument in British and Ukrainian Lexicographical Presentation: a Comparative Aspect

Abstract

The thesis is devoted to the comparative study of the dialogical genre "argument" in the present-day British and Ukrainian language pictures of the world. This type of investigation has been the first so far in the field of comparative linguistics that deals with human communication. Argument is a widespread type of day-today communication, namely a kind of dialogue that finds its verbal conceptualization in English and Ukrainian. The general idea of argument can be formulated as an emotionally coloured verbal communication between partners who differ about something and try to convince each other in the righteousness of one's position. Such a general scheme of argument interpretation is modified in the structures of ethnic languages. Thus, the terms argument and суперечка reflect the existing differences between two nations as for the type of interaction itself. The crucial difference is understanding of argument as a verbal exchange in British society and a verbal contest in Ukrainian one. One more allomorphic feature is that the British typically tend to get excited in argument, the fact reflected in the semantic components a heated or angry interaction. The next verbal specification argument gets in a number of its forms or subgenres. A closer comparative look at such kinds of argument as debates, polemics, dispute and discussion is suggested. The main differences and common features of the genres are established.