Information on the thesis

The  thesis  focuses  on  the  study  of  negation  in  Modern  German,  its
linguo-cognitive  and  communicative-pragmatic  parameters.  It  offers  a  new
approach to the analysis of negation in Modern German and comprises its lin-
guo-pragmatic research and frame modelling. Speech Acts (SA) of the realiza-
tion of negation have been studied and their divergent and convergent features
have been determined.
Refutation is considered to be a reactive SA which the speaker resorts to
dispute the realness of the initiative SA with the illocutive purpose to assert a
certain state of affairs by refuting the other one; refusal is a reactive SA which
the speaker uses to repel the initiative SA with the illocutive purpose to oblige
the speaker not to do something; prohibition is regarded as a reactive SA that is
employed by the speaker to block the initiative SA with the illocutive purpose to
urge the listener not to do something.
The  types  of  statements  to  express  negation  are  outlined,  namely:
assertive, commissive, directive and expressive. Assertives alleviate the flatness
of the negations as they do not comprise any threats, persuasions, requests, in
other  words,  any  psychological  pressure  on  the  speaker.  The  flatness  of  the
commisives  greatly  depends  on  the  form  of  the  expression:  direct  or  indirect,
whether the speaker aims at concealing his/her intentions, whether the negation
has an explicit, obliging content. Negative directives target at complicating the
speaker’s actions. Expressive statements demonstrate psychic states, emotions of
the addressee, his negative attitude to the message he spreads.
The negative SAs are analyzed from the point of view of their structure: a
simple  negative  SA  –  a  minimal  negative  predicative  unit,  complex  SA  –
comprises  several  minimal  negative  predicative  units  which  are  related  by  the
speaker’s communicative intention. A complex connection occurs when one SA is
the main because it comprises the negative reaction to the pre-positive content of
the initiative act and the other one is subordinate because it is used to substantiate
the negative reaction. When equal SAs are combined they are called compositive
SA. There exist comprised SA that relate meta-communicative and simple SAs.  Negative  SAs  are  outlined  by  their  illocutive  potential:  simple  that
comprise the same illocution and hybrid ones that unite the illocution of different
SAs. According to the type of interaction multilateral negative SAs consisting of
two or more communicative partners are researched. It is stated that by internal
evaluative valor refutation belongs to evaluative-neutral SAs whereas refusal and
prohibition – to the marked negative ones.
The  typology  of  communicative  strategies  (CS)  of  negative  SAs  is
realized. The informative CS of negative SAs is realized by the assertive type of
expression and aims at reporting information that is negative or opposite to the
initiative  SA.  Informative-influential  CS  of  negative  SAs  is  realized  by  the
commissive type of expression and aims at expressing one’s negative will. The
regulative-urging  CS  of  negative  SAs  is  implemented  by  the  directive  type  of
expression and targets at controlling the listener’s behavior, urges the end of the
speech action by pressuring the listener. The emotional-influential CS of negati-
ve SAs is realized by the expressive type of expression and addresses the spea-
ker’s emotional state.
Communicative  tactics  that  are  used  to  realize  CS  of  negative  SAs  are
deduced: message, will, urge. A linguo-pragmatic model of the negative SAs has
been suggested. The model is based on the communicative situations of refuta-
tion, refusal and prohibition which rest on the negative SA with certain types of
expression. CS and the ways of their realization – corresponding CT as well as
perlocutive  effect  as  a  result  of  the  speaker’s  influence  upon  the  listener  are
worked out.
The frame modeling of negation by means of the actional frames that are
outlined on the basis of suggestion and comprise constant knots and changeable
slots has been elaborated. The determination of the constant knots has been made
on the basis of the components of the situation of negation: speaker – purpose –
action – result – listener. The research resulted in outlining three sub-frames of
the  SAs  of  negation:  deviation,  refusal,  prohibition.  The  conditions  of  a
successful  realization  of  negative  SAs  which  are  based  on  the  speaker’s
understanding of the subject matter, as well as on the illocution of the initiative
SAs of the listener and the speaker’s proper reaction have been described.
Typical lingual and non-lingual means of realization of negative SAs in
Modern German have been depicted. Explicit expression of rejection, refusal and
prohibition  is  achieved  by  means  of  performatives  as  well  as  indirect  explicit
SAs of negation.
Keywords:  negation,  SAs  of  refutation,  refusal  and  prohibition,  frame
modelling,  linguo-pragmatic  model,  communicative  strategies  and  tactics  of
negation.