inter-stratal tension

Corpus Stylistics as Contextual Prosodic Theory and Subtext

Jun 01

ChRIS CLÉiRIGhbook publication No Comments

Title: Corpus Stylistics as Contextual Prosodic Theory and Subtext
Series Title: Linguistic Approaches to Literature 23

Publication Year: 2016
Publisher: John Benjamins
http://www.benjamins.com/

Book URL: https://benjamins.com/catalog/lal.23

Author: Bill Louw
Author: Marija Milojkovic

Electronic: ISBN:  9789027267351 Pages:  Price: Europe EURO 99.00
Electronic: ISBN:  9789027267351 Pages:  Price: U.S. $ 149.00
Electronic: ISBN:  9789027267351 Pages:  Price: U.K. £ 83.00
Hardback: ISBN:  9789027234124 Pages:  Price: U.S. $ 149.00
Hardback: ISBN:  9789027234124 Pages:  Price: U.K. £ 83.00
Hardback: ISBN:  9789027234124 Pages:  Price: Europe EURO 104.94

Abstract:

The volume presents Louw’s Contextual Prosodic Theory from its beginnings to
its newest applications. It journeys from delexicalisation and
relexicalisation into Semantic Prosody and then to the heart of its contextual
requirements within collocation and the thinking of J.R. Firth. Once there, it
moves much of Firth’s and Malinowski’s thinking into a computational method
based upon the ability of language to govern and analyse itself using
collocation to plot its scope and limits. With the assistance of analytic
philosophy, it parts logic (grammar) from metaphysics (vocabulary) along the
lines of a non-computational formula of Bertrand Russell, and so falsifies the
major premise of the Vienna Circle using its own central tenet: the Principle
of Verification. Having arrived at corpus-derived subtext (the semantic aura
of grammar strings, as distinguished from Semantic Prosody), the second half
of the book proceeds to verify the theory on Slavic languages. The focus is on
the poet Alexander Pushkin, whose authorial intention becomes computationally
recoverable. Prose is handled on samples authored by David Lodge, where
authorial (in)sincerity (Louw 1993) is viewed on a cline of inspiration and
quality of discourse. Other applications in the volume include studies on
translation, negotiation, humour, and the reception of CPT.