Kuznyetsova D. Nominative Field 'Facial Expression' in Modern English Fictional Discourse: Emotive and Pragmatic Perspectives

This dissertation presents an integrated approach to the study of nominative units designating facial expression as a nonverbal component of communication in modern English fictional discourse. Facial expression is viewed as a nonverbal emotive sign which functions in the discourse space of a literary text as a unity of emotional, communicative, pragmatic, axiological, and cognitive modi. It has been determined that units of language and speech instantiation of facial expressions pertain to the two-dimensional nominative field 'facial expression', characterised by an open structure,changeable composition,and diffuse boundaries. This thesis singles out a body of nominative units designating facial expression, establishes the principle of their lexico-semantic arrangement; analyses means of speech realisation of facial expression, defines the mechanisms that enrich the body of such means via precedent phenomena and sensory metaphorisation. Analysis of speech act and conversational potential of facial expression designations has led to the conclusion about their pragmatic significance. The emotive specificity of these denominations has been revealed with regard to their role in the formation of discourse emotive code.