The Russian Word milost’ in the Light of Language Corpora (Including Parallel Ones)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the linguistic properties of the Russian noun milost’. The aim is to present the properties of this word, using corpus data, including parallel corpora. The research methods include the analysis of dictionary definitions, a monofocal approach, and the shuttle method. The word milost’ has a debatable word-formation meaning. It does not mean the property of a nice person, so its word-formation meaning does not match its word-formation model. The frequency of the word milost’ decreases over time. In fiction its frequency is almost twice as high as in non-fiction texts. Among non-fiction texts it appears most often in church and theological literature and least often in production and technical literature. The word milost’ has two modes of use, which have different translations and stimuli in parallel corpora. In some cases its meaning is unclear. Grammatically, the two modes of use of milost’ differ in both languages. For example, when milost’ indicates a kind attitude, in English it corresponds to words without an article or with a definite article. If it indicates a specific good deed, then it corresponds to words with the indefinite article in English. Stable phrases with the word milost’ often have meanings not directly connected with its main meaning, ranging from polite forms to ironic phrases. The variety of translations and contexts for milost’ suggests its high linguistic specificity.

Keywords:

emotional condition, symptoms of emotional state, somatisms, verbs of the emotional state of joy, nonverbal ways of expressing emotional state