MARKEMIC ANALYSIS OF THE LANGUAGE IN THE NOVEL “WAVERLEY, OR SIXTY YEARS AGO” BY W. SCOTT

Abstract

Тhe paper aims at formal semantic analysis of the language in the historical novel ‘Waverley’ (1814) by Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832). The described research is carried out within the framework of markemology, a linguistic approach proposing to identify a special type of keywords in a text – markemes – based on an objective indicator of the lexeme informative value – the Index of Textual Markedness (InTeM). The conducted markemic analysis of the novel’s language makes it possible to specify the dominant and vice-dominant markemes: ‘disappointment’ and ‘refl ection’ respectively. The markeme stratifi cation results in determining a markeme core of 15 markemes and a markeme periphery of 35 markemes. Besides, it shows ten groups of markemes, which have the same InTeM whithin their groups. Due to their semantic classifi cation, the ‘Waverley’ markemes are distributed into seven semantic sets: fundamental, interpersonal, mental and perceptional, emotional markemes, qualitative, social, and moral and ethical markemes. Three major semantic sets have been identifi ed as mental and perceptional, emotional, and interpersonal markemes. Among the core markemes, the majority belong to markemes describing mental and perceptional processes. Markeme analysis of the novel’s language shows that the author pays special attention to different aspects of interpersonal communication and cooperation, the ability to come to understanding and to reconcile. The necessity to consider and examine all the aspects of a situation seems to be very important, but the heroes often neglect such a necessity. The author believes it important for the heroes to appeal to their reason and conscience, as they are the sources of a mental activity. Such negative feelings as disappointment and embarrassment represent key feelings in the novel. Besides, the author focuses on the necessity to refl ect on one’s conduct through the recollection of previous experience and, as a consequence, to remedy past wrongs.