The aim of this paper is to reconstruct the historico-theoretical development of stylistics, especially starting from the last decades of the 19th century, when the consideration of language as a natural organism independent from speakers starts to enter a crisis phase and the speaking subject starts to be considered. A new point of view, which would later become typical of modern stylistics, starts to emerge in Ferdinand de Saussure’s reflections on associative relationships that introduce a psychological and mental dimension that goes beyond the purely linguistic dimension. The issue of associative relationships is taken into consideration by Bally, the father of modern stylistics as an autonomous discipline. Bally focuses his perspective on the speaking subject who, in each of his/her expressive acts, feels (unconsciously) that each concept, idea, etc. can be conveyed through expressions of different type. This opens the way to associations, comparisons, assimilations, etc. so that stylistics has the task of bringing to light the "système expressif" of a language.
From Associative Relationships to the Birth of Stylistics
GRAZIA BASILE
2022-01-01
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to reconstruct the historico-theoretical development of stylistics, especially starting from the last decades of the 19th century, when the consideration of language as a natural organism independent from speakers starts to enter a crisis phase and the speaking subject starts to be considered. A new point of view, which would later become typical of modern stylistics, starts to emerge in Ferdinand de Saussure’s reflections on associative relationships that introduce a psychological and mental dimension that goes beyond the purely linguistic dimension. The issue of associative relationships is taken into consideration by Bally, the father of modern stylistics as an autonomous discipline. Bally focuses his perspective on the speaking subject who, in each of his/her expressive acts, feels (unconsciously) that each concept, idea, etc. can be conveyed through expressions of different type. This opens the way to associations, comparisons, assimilations, etc. so that stylistics has the task of bringing to light the "système expressif" of a language.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
