Discourse semantics of personal pronouns

Abstract

The article interprets personal pronouns (I, you, we) through the prism of discourse grammar, oriented towards including the discourse paradigm component in the categorising features of parts of speech. In a discourse, personal pronouns can go beyond the limits of the deictic field, set by traditional classifications, and demonstrate qualities which, in order to be understood and evaluated, require a complex (interdisciplinary) approach, ensured through semantic, pragmatic and cognitive discourse compatibility. Personal pronouns take part in the identification of institutional discourses and new discourse practices; they belong to the culturally-labelled units of the morphological level; they are the carriers of national traditions, which is especially important for successful intercultural communication. The configuration of personal pronouns in a discourse, their positioning in relation to each other, the language environment and the non-linguistic background give reasons to identify the differentiating qualities of every pronoun in a group. The semantic and cognitive potential of personal pronouns is demonstrated in institutional discourses and in the discourse practices being formed. The author identified a typologically important connection between the cognitive/perceptive qualities of a personal pronoun and the discourse type. Thus, the spiritual I organises predominantly philosophical, poetic and religious discourses; the social I is active in political discourse; the status I is essential in presentational discourse etc. The pronoun ʻyouʼ has different sets of qualities in dialogues and monologues relating these structures to discourse types. The pronoun ‘weʼ i s included in a wide range of inclusive-exclusive identifications. The author pays attention to the intercultural aspect of using the given pronouns with an emphasis on the features of Russian mentality. The textual illustrations included in the article raise the effectiveness level of the cognitive discourse approach to the given problem.