Imagery in a popular science text: Approaches to description
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33910/Keywords:
popular science text, imagery, functional-stylistic approach, communicative-pragmatic approach, linguo-cognitive approachAbstract
Introduction. The hybrid character and debated functional-stylistic status of a popular science text make it an object of interest for linguists. One feature that sets it apart from academic texts is the use of imagery. As a complex language phenomenon, imagery can be analyzed based on multiple approaches. This article aims to examine these approaches.
Materials and Methods. The illustrative material was drawn from popular science monographs across different academic fields: The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins, The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker and Cosmos by Carl Sagan. The study employed theoretical analysis, controlled data collection, and contextual analysis of the material.
Results. The study identified the following approaches to analyzing imagery as a complex text-typological phenomenon: functional-stylistic, communicative-pragmatic, and linguo-cognitive. Comprehensive research of imagery in popular science texts may treat imagery as a means of functional-stylistic homeostasis and a result of the constructive-style vector, as a tool for influencing the reader, or as an imagery-associative component of the author’s concept. The study also distinguished classes of images employed in popular science texts: isolated images, key images, and images-digressions. Key images are the most typical, often foregrounded in prominent positions or through repetition. As components of the concept, imagery-associative meanings are structured hierarchically, reflecting the layer-field organization of the author’s concept.
Conclusions. A comprehensive study of imagery in popular science texts advances the understanding of this text type and the popular science discourse, contributing to the development of functional and cognitive stylistics as well as text linguistics. The described approaches to imagery may also be applied to other text types. The examples can be used in lectures on stylistics and text linguistics.
References
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Dawkins, R. (1989) The selfish gene. New York: Oxford University Press, 372 p.
Pinker, S. (1994) The language instinct. How the mind create language. New York: Harper-Collins Publ., 494 p.
Sagan, C. (1980) Cosmos. New York: Random house Publ., 365 p.
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Dawkins, R. (1989) The selfish gene. New York: Oxford University Press., 372 p.
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