Yulia Yu. Leonova

PhD in Philological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Legal Disciplines

Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University

(Tula, Russia)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22405/2712-8407-2023-4-151-159

Abstract. Тhe article deals with the problems of historical stylistics and lexicology based on the material of business writing of the 17th century. The object of the study is a petition — one of the most common business documents of the time. The author considers the structure of the form and the requisites composition of this document type, vocabulary and stylistic features of petitioners. The article presents an analysis of all types of petitions: from complaints to lawsuits, delations, confessions of guilty, pleas of bargain, and postponed petitions. To characterize the vocabulary of petitions and determine the relationship of vocabulary to the dictionary of assembly monuments of the 17th century, the national and literary language of the period under consideration, the author makes a full receipt of the vocabulary of 800 texts of petitions. This method makes it possible to identify the entire volume of lexical and phraseological units used in petitions, as well as to determine the frequency of their use: to identify lexical and phraseological units that occur regularly, and those that occur in isolated cases. From the point of view of the lexical composition of petitions, nouns with suffixes of subjective evaluation and compound words, which were used not only as a nominative means, but also as a tool to influence the feelings of the addressee, are of particular interest. Traditional and etiquette means are considered separately: etiquette appeals, applications, traditional and situational definitions. The author conducts the study within the framework of the anthropocentric paradigm, taking into account the social significance of this document, the peculiarities of the social position of the addressant and the addressee of the petition. The texts of petitions are considered from the standpoint of historical lexicology, stylistics, documentary studies and documentary linguistics. The results of the research can be used in the practice of compiling courses of lectures and seminars on historical stylistics and lexicology, documentary studies, documentary linguistics and linguistic source studies.
Keywords: petition, document, vocabulary, official business and private business correspondence, form, requisite details.

Full text of the article (PDF)

For citation: Leonova, YuYu 2023, ‘Lexical and Stylistic Features of Petitions’, Tula Scientific Bulletin. History. Linguistics, issue 4 (16), pp. 151–159, http://doi.org/10.22405/2712-8407-2023-4-151-159 (in Russ.)

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