Most of us would agree that the main key in interacting directly with each other is communication. When communicating, we share our thoughts, emotions, and views with other people. Without communication it is impossible to imagine the existence of modern society. However, in order for our speech to benefit others and be understandable, it is necessary to decorate it with practical, but at the same time vivid words. One of these are epithets. What are they and are they so important when communicating together?
Definition of epithet
What is an epithet in literature? We come across this definition back in school. So, an epithet is a special, expressive word that serves as an addition to other words. An epithet helps to better understand the essence of a word. Based on the definition, they are used as a supplement to words denoting a subject or object. He introduces it with an adjective. In rare cases it may be a noun. The noun is the word for which the epithet was used. There are many examples of using epithets together with a noun.
Here are a few of them: mighty shoulders, black melancholy, dead of night. In all the examples given, figurative expressions give special meaning to nouns and emphasize their expressiveness, making the speech itself rich.
Types of figurative expressions
In the literature, not only the definition of this concept is known, but also three main varieties:
- individually-authored;
- general language;
- folk-poetic.
Let's take a closer look at each type mentioned.
Individually-authored. This type is created by the authors of works or speakers themselves. In other words, the expressions spoken or printed in books have never been used before. This type was and is most often used by poets and writers. The use of such interesting expressions gives their work more individuality. To see them, it is enough to read the works or poem of a famous poet. For example, Mayakovsky or Brodsky. There are phrases with epithets there.
General language. This view is not the invention of a particular poet. Such expressions have already been used in speech and literature. For example, ringing silence, gentle sun, leaden clouds. In this case, the figurative expression is aimed at describing the properties and capabilities of the noun. The use of such figurative expressions in everyday speech helps us best convey to our interlocutor the atmosphere of an upcoming event or show our personal attitude towards certain actions or situations.
Folk poetic. In another way they are called permanent. These expressions are the result of folk art. During the existence of nations, they have become firmly entrenched in human consciousness. This or that expression is automatically associated with this or that word. In some cases, a folk poetic epithet may be not one word, but an entire expression. Here are some examples: good fellow, clean field, beautiful maiden.
Don't miss: interpretation of such a literary device as, examples of exaggeration.
Other classification
There is another classification. In most cases, such figurative expressions stand next to words used in the text in a figurative sense. If the noun has a figurative meaning, then the epithet has a different meaning, for example:
- metonymic;
- metamorphic.
Metonymic. Based on a figurative metonymic meaning. A striking example is the expression from the work of S. Yesenin: “in a birch, cheerful language.”
Metamorphic. They differ from the first type. The name of this type speaks about the basis of figurative expression. The main one is . There are many examples of such epithets in the literature. For example, in Pushkin these are “light threats”.
Independent and permanent
There are not so many independent epithets. In literary works or everyday life, they are used no nouns. They are independent and full-fledged members of the sentence. They don't need a supplement. If we talk about literary movements, then most of all such independent figurative expressions are found in the works of the well-known era of symbolism.
What are permanent epithets? This type, in contrast to independent expressions, is often found in literature and in everyday life. Constant epithets are beautiful and understandable figurative expressions, which are predominantly used in colloquial speech. Colloquial epithets allow us to better convey the emotions of spoken words. Or show your attitude to certain subjects of discussion or to the interlocutor himself. By giving new meaning to words, constant expressions improve our communication skills with others.
How to find such expressions in text?
Having realized the importance and necessity of epithets in speech and literature, it is important to learn how to track and find them. Here are some interesting and useful tips that, by the way, will be useful during training:
Thus, we learned what epithets can be, determined what it is and figured out a little how to find it in the text. At the end of the article, I would like to once again recall the importance of these figurative expressions in literature. Without them, it would not be so rich, bright and interesting. And our everyday speech would also be sluggish, boring and dry. Therefore, epithets are a worthy decoration for our speech.
The dictionary contains common and reverse articles. A regular article provides a list of epithets for a key word - a noun:
worry O property
unaccountable, boundless, pointless, continuous, causeless, painful, gnawing, deaf, oppressive, formidable, burning <Некрасов> , creepy(colloquial), hidden, lung, feverish, painful, involuntary, inexplicable, extraordinary, extraordinary, indefinite, haunting, unclear, acute, strong, hidden, vague <Серафимович> , sucking, strange, scary(colloquial), secret, languid, alarming, painful, terrible(colloquial), painful
A viscous, gratifying, sacred <Некрасов>
Reverse The article shows with which supporting words a specific epithet is used - an adjective (in 3 gender variants):
Selection of epithets.
more e famous14 (more e znennaya21, more e valuable11, more e valuable)
anxiety, insomnia, pallor, imagination, scream, hunger, dreams, grimace, a pity, care, languor, scream, face, Love, curiosity, dream, music, thought, resentment, insult, habit, irritation, wound, blush, sobbing, pride, light, dream, old age, moan, passion, fear, body, anxiety, hit, fatigue, fantasy, feeling, selfishness, phenomenon, rage
A evening, delight, dreams <Надсон> , day <Тютчев> , language
Types of epithets
The Dictionary presents 4 types of epithets: general linguistic, folk-poetic, rare (individually authored) and phraseological units, which also usually have a specific author’s source.
General language epithets are the most numerous group of words. Some nouns (for example, face, look, eyes, smile, life) hundreds of characterizing definitions have been recorded. Among them are adjectives with both free and bound meanings. Wed. On the one side: crimson sunset , insightful sight , ironic smile , high forehead, and on the other - dejected sight , beaded handwriting , crackling freezing , sardonic smile . Among the general linguistic epithets there are words used in both literal and figurative meanings, stylistically neutral and with a bright stylistic coloring. Wed: full silence and (translated) grave silence , fast sight and (translated) fulminant sight , dark oak and (translated) black-headed oak ; unbearable pain and (colloquial) creepy pain , strong freezing and (colloquially) vigorous freezing . The characteristic features of general linguistic epithets are the relative stability of the connection between the determiner and the defined, the reproducibility of such phrases, and the repeated use of them in the literary language.
Folk poetic epithets came into the literary language from oral folk art. Their main feature is the constancy and limited combinations of the determinant with the defined. Typical examples are: pure field, blue sea , bitter grief , violent wind , red Sun , grey wolf etc. Many folk poetic epithets are characterized by: a) the use of an adjective in a truncated form (cheese Earth, clean field); b) transfer of stress ( green O wine , silk O high meadows ); c) inversion of the determinant and the defined ( winds violent, legs frisky, grief bitter).
To a separate area A highlighted rare (individually-authored) epithets. They are based on unexpected, often unique semantic associations, therefore they are usually irreproducible, their use is of an occasional nature. However, under certain conditions (authority of the writer, brightness, freshness of the image, etc.) these epithets can become general linguistic. Thus, the boundary between general linguistic and individual author’s epithets is conditional and fluid. Here are some examples of individual author's epithets: blue mood <Куприн> , marmalade mood <Чехов> , cardboard Love <Гоголь> , sheep Love <Тургенев> , chumpy indifference <Писарев> , blue joy <Куприн> , colorful joy <Шукшин> , moth beauty <Чехов> , wet-lipped wind <Шолохов> , tearful morning <Чехов> , flabby laughter <Мамин-Сибиряк> , candy pain <Вс. Иванов>. Combinations of opposite concepts (oxymorons) occupy a significant place among rare epithets. The illogic of combining words creates a psychological effect, attracts the reader’s attention, and enhances the expressiveness of the image. The functions of such epithets are similar to the reception of antithesis. For example: gray-haired youth <Герцен> , joyful sadness <Короленко> , sweet sadness <Куприн> , hating Love <Шолохов> , sad joy <Есенин> , dreary joy <М. Горький>. The inclusion of individual author's epithets in the Dictionary enriches our understanding of the possibilities of figurative use of words and shows bright literary discoveries.
In addition to the actual epithets in the zone L The most commonly used everyday and terminological definitions are also presented (they are often called logical definitions). For example:
b O l
L head, chest, gastric, dental, irradiating, local, migraine, reflected, peripheral, epigastric, gouty, prenatal, rheumatic, generic, phantom and so on.
Lists of such definitions expand the understanding of the range of typical combinations of the noun listed in the Dictionary. It should also be taken into account that many relative adjectives in context can acquire a qualitative meaning and thus be used as characterizing definitions (i.e. epithets). For example: army discipline (same as in the army) autumn rain (the kind that happens in the fall), funeral ringing (such as at a funeral), etc.
Our speech would be poor without words that describe the characteristics of the objects that we are telling our interlocutor about. Epithets help convey how a speaker feels about a particular phenomenon and what assessment he gives it.
Let's consider what an epithet is in literature, give a definition of this term, look at an example of why it is needed, and note the importance of its use in a particular case.
The word has ancient Greek roots, its meaning is clear from the translation - “attached”. The function of an epithet is to emphasize the word next to it.
It gives expressiveness to the phrase. This can be an adjective (a beautiful fence), an adverb (to run quickly), as well as a noun, numeral (third number), verb, .
Epithets are used in the poem to emphasize imagery, emotional coloring, the author’s vision, hidden or explicit meaning.
The epithet is often used in both poetry and prose. Its structure and textual functionality give the word color, new meaning, and emotionality. The role of the word is described by experts in different ways. They don't have a common vision. Although this is one of the oldest stylistic terms.
Some classify it among figures and paths, considering it an independent unit. Others argue that it should only be used in poetry and not in prose.
Important! Previously, the term “decorating epithet” was used, but it did not accurately characterize this phenomenon.
A simple epithet is an expression without a figurative meaning. And the lofty term can be attributed to metaphor.
It is difficult to overestimate the meaning of this word, since without its use the poems would be faded and inexpressive.
Defining words allow not only to emphasize the property of an object, but also to emotionally color the author’s attitude towards this object. Then the reader also feels the emotions that the author of the text wanted to convey.
Examples of epithets
Such techniques help highlight the main idea or emphasize advantages. People liked some expressions so much that they began to be used in speech. This suggests that the writer coped with his task: his work was not only remembered, but it also went to the people.
Sometimes it is only through these definitions that a writer can use their personality and come up with a unique definition. It may be the fruit of the author’s inner world, his attitude to the situation.
Use in literature
Using this technique, a significant feature is identified in what the author wanted to say. It can be a word or phrase. Two types can be used in a poem:
- figurative;
- lyrical.
The first option is used when you need to emphasize a word, but avoid evaluation. Examples: red sunset, yellow sun, blue sky. That is, it is rather a statement of fact. The second option is the author’s attitude towards what he describes (noisy aspen, most beautiful action).
Epithets: interpretation and role in language
With epithets that are well chosen, the writer or poet draws more attention to those words that he wants to emphasize or emphasize. Therefore, it is important to find expressions that will add expressiveness to the work.
A correctly chosen definition can give speech sophistication, depth and enhanced expression of properties. Most often, these words are adjectives. They are located behind the defined word.
Alexander Blok used reinforcements in his works, placing them distant from each other. This technique colored their sound. They were located at the end of the line of the poem.
Epithets in different parts of speech
Knowing what an epithet is in literature, a writer can easily use it to enhance the semantic effect, as well as create author’s definitions. This is the exception rather than the rule, but they are present in the works of V. Mayakovsky, for example.
With their help, he gives expression to expression, using not one word, but several. After reading such a combination of words, a person will think about the author’s thoughts and appreciate how complex and broad it is to look at everyday things.
After re-reading the expressions several times, it is easy to find the subtext and veiled message that the author wanted to convey to the reader.
Constant epithets
Many people wonder what permanent, established epithets are. This is a beautiful definition that is associated with the word and forms an inextricable, stable connection with it.
In fact, these are phrases that are fixed in the language and came into literature from folklore. Most often they are adjectives.
Definition of epithet, examples
Many examples of these stable phrases can be easily found in fairy tales and epics. As a rule, this is the highest quality in the item being described. They fit organically into the meaning of the works.
Constant epithets describe the idealized world of the work, its perfection. They are also used in songs for lyrical appreciation.
Their use occurs systematically, they quietly take root in speech. For example:
- red maiden;
- sugar lips;
- the sun is clear;
- gray bunny;
- Golden autumn;
- white hands;
- biting frost;
- clear field.
They are used so often that they lose their original meaning. But their main use was in folk art.
Examples of epithets
The linguistic term “means of expression” is a certain combination of several words that form one whole.
This term describes words artistically. He:
- defines features and qualities;
- creates an impression;
- expresses the emotionality of the author;
- conveys mood;
- describes the image;
- evaluates and characterizes.
Types of epithets
The following types are distinguished:
- Sustainable or poetic. Most often they find their use in folklore, as well as in poems.
- Figurative or descriptive.
- Lyrical, emotionally charged.
- Double, triple.
- Metaphorical.
- Metanomic.
Types of epithets
Important! Epithets are the main building blocks that the author uses to create the artistic world of a work. With their help, you can plunge into the atmosphere of the poem and become a witness of the era.
Useful video
Let's sum it up
When the author gives the simplest words unusual features, he emphasizes the brightness and expressiveness of the story he wants to tell. This technique gives volume to the word and expression, and a process of emotional evaluation occurs.
With the help of colorful definitions, the world that a writer or poet creates becomes alive and tangible. After reading such a work, a person can easily imagine the world and the described atmosphere based on figurative words.
- An epithet (from ancient Greek ἐπίθετον - “attached”) is a definition of a word that affects its expressiveness and beauty of pronunciation. It is expressed mainly by an adjective, but also by an adverb (“to love dearly”), a noun (“fun noise”), and a numeral (“second life”).
Without having a definite position in the theory of literature, the name “epithet” is applied approximately to those phenomena that are called a definition in syntax, and an adjective in etymology; but the coincidence is only partial.
There is no established view of the epithet in literary theory: some attribute it to figures of speech, others consider it, along with figures and tropes, an independent means of poetic depiction; Some consider the epithet to be an element of exclusively poetic speech, others find it in prose as well.
Alexander Veselovsky described several moments in the history of the epithet, which, however, is only an artificially isolated fragment of the general history of the style.
Literary theory deals only with the so-called decorative epithet (epitheton ornans). This name originates from the old theory, which saw in the techniques of poetic thinking a means for decorating poetic speech, however, only the phenomena designated by this name represent a category distinguished by the theory of literature in the term “epithet.”
Just as not every epithet has the form of a grammatical definition, so not every grammatical definition is an epithet: a definition that narrows the scope of the concept being defined is not an epithet.
Logic distinguishes between synthetic judgments - those in which the predicate names a feature that is not contained in the subject (this mountain is high) and analytical - those in which the predicate only reveals a feature that is already present in the subject (people are mortal).
Transferring this difference to grammatical definitions, we can say that the name of the epithet is only analytical definitions: “scattered storm”, “crimson beret” are not epithets, but “clear azure”, “long spear”, “Scrupulous London” are epithets, because clarity is a constant sign of azure, scrupulousness is a sign obtained from the analysis of the poet’s idea of London.
An epithet - the beginning of the decomposition of a fused complex of ideas - highlights a feature already given in the word being defined, since this is necessary for consciousness understanding phenomena; the feature he highlights may seem insignificant, random, but it is not like that for the author’s creative thought.
The epic constantly calls the saddle Cherkassy, not in order to distinguish this saddle from others, not Cherkassy, but because it is the saddle of a hero, the best that a people-poet can imagine: this is not a simple definition, but a method of stylistic idealization. Like other techniques - conventional phrases, typical formulas - the epithet in ancient songwriting easily became constant, invariably repeated with a well-known word (white hands, red maiden) and so closely attached to it that even contradictions and absurdities do not overcome this constancy (“ white hands" end up with the "Arapin", Tsar Kalin is a "dog" not only in the mouths of his enemies, but also in the speech of his ambassador to Prince Vladimir).
This “oblivion of real meaning,” in the terminology of A. N. Veselovsky, is already a secondary phenomenon, but the very appearance of a constant epithet cannot be considered primary: its constancy, which is usually considered a sign of epic, epic worldview, is the result of selection after some diversity.
It is possible that in the era of the most ancient (syncretistic, lyric-epic) song creativity this constancy did not yet exist: “only later did it become a sign of that typically conventional - and class - worldview and style, which we consider, somewhat one-sidedly, to be characteristic of epic and folk poetry."
Epithets can be expressed by different parts of speech (Mother Volga, wind-tramp, bright eyes, damp earth). Epithets are a very common concept in literature; without them it is difficult to imagine a work of art.
Epithet is a figurative definition that gives an artistic description of a phenomenon or object. An epithet is a comparison and can be expressed as an adjective, a noun, a verb or an adverb.
Golden autumn, blue sea, snow-white winter, velvet leather, crystal ringing
An epithet is one of the basic terms of literary theory, which is a definition of a word and affects its expressiveness. Mostly when writing epithets, adjectives are used. But adverbs are also widely used, for example “ hot kiss" Nouns are used to write epithets (example: joy scream), numerals (example: first Friend), as well as verbs (example: volunteer help). An epithet is one word or a whole phrase that acquires a new semantic connotation and meaning due to its location in the text and the corresponding context. There is still no specific view on the epithet. Some are sure that epithets refer to figures, others boldly put them on a par with paths and figures, as an independent means for poetic depiction.
An epithet is a word or expression (syntactic whole) in a literary text, usually poetic, lyrical, that carries particularly expressive properties and emphasizes something in the object of the image that is inherent only to it alone. With the help of epithets, special subtlety, expressiveness, and depth are achieved. The construction of the epithet is usually simple. It's an adjective + noun. The epithet in the text most often appears in postposition, after the word being defined. If epithets turn out to be located vertically in the text, that is, separated from each other, then this only enhances their specific sound and gives special depth to the text. For example, in a poem by A. Blok, epithets end the line:
Everything is as it was. Only strange
Reigned silence.
And in your window - foggy
Street only scary.
Epithet " strange" creates the effect of breaking the silence, and after the word " foggy“The reader gets a feeling of mystery, a echo. There are simple epithets, which contain one adjective, for example: “ pigeon clouds"(S. A. Yesenin). Or fused, consisting of two or even three roots, but perceived by ear as one whole, for example: “ convincingly deceitful story" (A.K. Tolstoy)
There are author’s epithets, which are quite rare, carrying an additional expressive load, conveying a special meaning not just of a word, but often of an entire group of words: “ In saucers - lifebuoy glasses"(V. Mayakovsky). By reading and thinking about such an epithet, we can gradually understand the complexity and breadth of the author’s view of familiar things. There is also a lexical implication in V. Mayakovsky’s epithet, a special semantic depth filled with irony, bitterness, sarcasm, bewilderment...
And all this is achieved with the help of just one artistic and expressive means of language - an epithet.
The role of epithets can be defined in one word: when epithets are part of a complex syntactic structure, which as a whole should not only convey the author’s idea to the reader, but also emotionally enrich it. Thanks to a successful combination of epithets, personifications, comparisons, metaphors, writers create non-standard images.
« In a white cloak with a bloody lining, a shuffling cavalry gait, early in the morning of the fourteenth day of the spring month of Nisan, the procurator of Judea Pontius Pilate came out into the covered colonnade between the two wings of the palace of Herod the Great...» M. Bulgakov, “The Master and Margarita”.
The author strings epithets on top of each other, and uses epithets that not only outline color or gait, but also convey information. The lining of the cloak is not just red, but symbolically bloody. And the epithets to describe the gait give an idea of the past of its owner and the fact that he has retained the bearing of a military man. The remaining epithets are descriptions of the circumstances of place and time.
Together with the article “What is an epithet in Russian?” read: