Typologia odmian językowych współczesnej polszczyzny

Abstract

This publication represents a continuation o f studies initiated in 1953 by the treatise o f Zenon Klemensiewicz On various different variants o f contemporary Polish. This subject matter has also been dealt with by Stanisław Urbańczyk, Antoni Furdal, Teresa Skubalanka, Danuta Buttler, Walery Pisarek, Stanisław Gajda and others. It has been considered by historians o f the Polish language, sociolinguists, stylists, dialect experts and grammarians o f 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 o f 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 o f norms and language usage. Type classification o f 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 o f dialects and the general language, such variants being found both in the town and rural environments. The overall status o f system variants is sketched out in this study and also given are examples o f the language situation in the larger Polish towns. In Chapter III attention is drawn to the question of internal differentiation o f the general language, concentrating on the opposition, spoken language: written language, which is the foundation for further differentiations o f the general language. In this Chapter consideration is also given to the most importent lingual differences, amongst other things in the domain o f vocabulary, syntax and textual structure. In Chapter IV an account is given o f the most important functional variants o f 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 o f the Chapter dealing with the artistic language is an attempt to scheme out an overall theory o f this language which conflicts with conceptions put forward hitherto (among others by Roman Jakobson). The concept o f contrary tendencies has been developed, o f 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 o f sociolectical variants o f 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 o f studies on certain definite environments, professional etc. variants o f the spoken language. In the final part a collected table o f the variants o f contemporary Polish is given, at the same time taking, up the .problem o f socio-lingual criteria in the description o f a text, representing an actual realisation o f the given language variant.