Blazhko M. Adjectives and Participles Denoting Sounding in Modern German: Semantics and Combinability

The dissertation proves that the German adjectives and participles denoting sounding distinguish the information represented in the parametral component of the concept KLANG (SOUNDING). The latter embodies human comprehension of the qualities perceived by hearing and assessed as pleasant /unpleasant or harmful /harmless. The varying degree of stability of the denoted parameters is reflected in the distinction of usual, transitional and occasional adjectives and participles denoting sounding. The structure of the concept KLANG is reflected by the perceptual and scalar adjectives and participles denoting sounding. The perceptual units name spatial and temporal components of the concept. The scalar units indicate the norm as well as an increase or decrease in loudness, pitch and sharpness which determine the formation of the evaluative and ecological meanings. The procedural level of the concept rests on the operation of gradation and underlies the semantic, metaphoric and metonymic combinability of nouns and verbs with the adjectives and participles denoting sounding. Key words: adjectives and participles denoting sounding; the parametral component of the KLANG concept; perceptual units; scalar units; semantic combinability; metonymic combinability; metaphoric combinability.