Typologia odmian językowych współczesnej polszczyzny

Abstract

This publication represents a continuation of studies initiated in 1953 by the treatise of Zenon Klemensiewicz On various different variants of contempo rary Polish. This subject matter has also been dealt with by Stanisław Urbańczyk, Antoni Furdal, Teresa Skubalanka, Danuta Buttler, Walery Pisarek, Stanis ław Gajda and others. It has been considered by historians of the Polish language, sociolinguists, stylists, dialect experts and grammarians of the contemporary Polish language. It has been taken, similarly as by the authors quoted above, that contemporary Polish is not a uniform entity but is differentiated both in the sphere of langue and parole, and that these differences are governed by factors which cannot be comprehended as purely stylistic occurrences, since here we have also to contend with system differences, differences in the range of norms and language usage. Type classification of lingual variants is built up by degrees. In Chapter II are given the basic variants of the Polish language which arose in the past and continue to function: the general language (in other papers given the term literary language) and folk dialects. Apart from these two basic variants there exist also mixed variants comprising a diffusion of dialects and the general language, such variants being found both in the town and rural environments. The overall status of system variants is sketched out in this study and also given are examples of the language situation in the larger Polish towns. In Chapter I I I attention is drawn to the question of internal differentiation of the general language, concentrating on the opposition, spoken language: written language, which is the foundation for further differentiations of the general language. In this Chapter consideration is also given to the most importent lingual differences, amongst other things in the domain of vocabulary, syntax and textual structure. In Chapter IV an account is given of the most important functional variants of spoken and written Polish: the colloquial, cultural, official, scientific and artistic language. Folk dialects have, in principle, only two variants: colloquial language and folklore language (artistic folk language). Considerable attention has been devoted to the official variant (rhetorical-ideological and officialese) which exerts an ever increasing influence on the contemporary language, and next, to the artistic language, which today has become an immensely complex creation. Part of the Chapter dealing with the artistic language is an attempt to scheme out an overall theory of this language which conflicts with conceptions put forward hitherto (among others by Roman Jakobson). The concept of contrary tendencies has been developed, of the internal tensions occurring in this variant and also the fundamental differences dividing this variant from other language variants. Chapter V deals with the question of sociolectical variants of the colloquial language, an attempt being made to put forward sociolect types and also variants — expressed by the terms biolect and psycholect. This chapter has a sociolinguistic profile and represents a certain research proposition, associated with the development of studies on certain definite environments, professional etc. variants of the spoken language. In the final part a collected table of the variants of contemporary Polish is given, at the same time taking up the problem of socio-lingual criteria in the description of a text, representing an actual realisation of the given language variant.