Stylistically neutral vocabulary is a bridge across the abyss between people of different professions and strata of society. It is she who is the universal, enshrined in dictionaries, language of mutual understanding, so it is important to pay attention to its study.
Defining stylistically neutral vocabulary
The degree of imagery of a language is determined by the abundance of its vocabulary. The more diverse the layers of vocabulary, the richer the speech possibilities.
In the Russian language, colloquial, bookish and neutral vocabulary stands out - a fundamental layer of words that are not attached to any style of speech.
Words of interstyle vocabulary make up, according to scientists, three-quarters of the we alth of the Russian language. In dictionaries, such vocabulary, unlike, for example, bookish, is not marked with special symbols like (), which immediately indicates the possibility of using such words in all styles without restriction.
- "In the autumn meadows, the golden sun was sinking below the horizon." Fiction. Of the 8 words in the sentence, 7 are neutral and only 1 word “golden” refers to the bookish, high style.
- "Petya, hurry to the shop for bread." An excerpt from the conversation. Of the 7 words, 6 are neutral. The word "cheshi" is also neutral, but in this text it has a different meaning and refers to the colloquial style.
- "No catalyst is required to carry out the reaction of sodium with water." Of the 10 words, 9 are neutral and 1, "catalyst", special, scientific style.
Neutral parts of speech
Interstyle vocabulary is represented by almost all parts of speech of the Russian language - both independent and auxiliary. This once again confirms the fundamental nature of this layer in the language. Neutral words refer to parts of speech:
- Nouns: "field", "table", "house", "wind", "friendship", "strength", "hour".
- Verbs: "do", "go", "see", "experience", "create".
- Adjectives: "blue", "delicate", "extra", "wooden", "northern".
- Adverbs: "good", "doggy style", "very", "visible".
- Pronouns: "our", "that", "you", "who", "she".
- Numerals: "first", "five", "ten".
- Special words:
- conjunctions: "as if", "that is", "a", "but";
- particles: "already", "how","like";
- prepositions: "for", "about", "in", "thanks".
Not part of common vocabulary
The only part of speech that cannot be a neutral word is an interjection. Examples: "great", "wow", "slap", "hello". These words are initially emotional.
There are also such concepts for which there are no words of neutral expression - these are cases of only high or only low style of speech. For example: "stupid", "talker", "idiot" or "tribunal", "oratorio". It is impossible to present a scientific article with the word "fool" put into context. Such words initially have a bright color, so they cannot be used in a different style of speech. Neutrals work in all styles.
Where neutral language is used
Neutral lexemes are used in all styles of speaking and writing without exception. In scientific and journalistic articles, in textbooks, in fiction, in ordinary conversation - this vocabulary is the basis of the Russian language, the most stable part of its vocabulary. For example, the artistic author's text includes units for the most part from the words of a neutral layer. For example, in the text of M. Prishvin, words that are not related to neutral vocabulary are highlighted.
Example:
The guys don't go with a star here and sing to the klirosthey don’t let anyone in, and since I saw in one shop on the window hooks are sold directly with fishing line and for all kinds of fish, very worthwhile, even there is one hook that will hold a pood catfish.
A. Chekhov "Vanka"
The word “letting go” is colloquial, “standing” is a phonetic distortion of the lexeme “standing”, but fixed in this text on a letter, can also be considered colloquial.
Interstyle vocabulary has thematic associations that make up the active vocabulary of the language:
- Temporal value: "tomorrow", "yesterday", "century", "month", "morning", "day", "past", "present".
- Meaning of place: "right", "behind", "there", "where", "home", "country", "island".
- Negatives: "no", "no one", "none", "not", "neither".
- Facial emphasis: "he", "she", "you", "me".
Neutral language helps to keep verbal and written language from vulgarity, for example: "Girl, go to this checkout."
The word "sweep" is high style, it fits unnaturally into the context of everyday colloquial speech.
You need to remember to be careful and reasonable when combining words of different semantic coloring in one text.
Background neutral vocabulary. Examples
Style differences inlanguage can only be seen against the background of words with a neutral color. Neutral vocabulary is a white sheet on which the smallest shades of other colors are visible. Speech can be expressive, figurative, but in comparison with the expression of the book and colloquial style, the coloring of the interstyle vocabulary is not so noticeable. For example: "walk" is a neutral word, "tread" is a high style, "loite" is a conversational style.
Authors of literary texts can achieve expressiveness and figurativeness without resorting to expressive-colored vocabulary. For example: "If you keep quiet in these rustling forests and listen to the sounds around you, you can hear mysterious quiet steps…"
In this passage only words of neutral style are used, but imagery and colorfulness are not lost. True, the creation of a literary text only with the help of commonly used vocabulary is not for everyone. The existence of emotionally rich layers of speech makes it possible to create texts of special figurativeness.
Neutral vocabulary and semantics
Referring words to the neutral style should also be done with caution. The same lexeme can have different meanings depending on the context and refer to different stylistic layers of the language. For example:
- "An eerie squeal of brakes was heard in the distance." - Here the word "brakes" means "mechanism to stop" (neutral).
- "Come on you guys and the brakes!" - In this text "brakes"used in a figurative sense - "people with a slow perception of information".
Neutral vocabulary in fairy tales
Fairy tale text can be built on the basis of neutral vocabulary - it will not be a folk tale, but an author's text.
For example: "In the Far Far Away Kingdom, in the Far Far Away State, there lived a king and a queen, and they had a beautiful daughter, which cannot be said in a fairy tale or described with a pen. She sat in the room all day long." There are outdated words in the text: "king", "queen", "svetlitsa", there are also stable expressions of the fairy tale epic: "in a distant kingdom, in a distant state", "to tell in a fairy tale, not to describe with a pen".
The canvas of a folk tale consists of words of increased figurativeness, the phenomena described in it often have nothing to do with the real world, being the result of a flight of human fantasy, a reflection of the sensory perception of the world. Neutral vocabulary is beyond the power of such figurativeness.
The predominance of stylistically neutral vocabulary in author's fairy tales is appropriate, since such texts are usually calmer, non-expressive and more speculative.
Colloquial, stylistically neutral and bookish vocabulary complement each other. Stylistically colored words make it possible to express shades of feelings, the realities of knowledge of a narrow circle of people. Neutral vocabulary is what brings accuracy, certainty, and comprehensibility to everyone.
