This thesis is dedicated to the study of linguostylistic characteristics of German zoo guidebook texts viewed as a specific type of «guidebook» genre of the popular science substyle of the scientific functional text style. Since the research is focused on diachronic perspective, the study outlines the layout, composition, themes, functions, and appropriate linguistic and graphic stylistic means characteristic for the texts of zoo guidebooks published in the period from 1799 (the first guidebook of menagerie in Vienna) to 2013 (the year when the latest guidebook analyzed in the present study was published), and considers the transformations of text resulted from the evolution of zoos.
The analysis of stylistic features of zoo guidebook texts done according to the paradigm of German pragmatic stylistics (B. Sandig, U. Püschel) allowed us to specify the structure of the style and describe the texts in terms of compositional, thematic and functional unity. This seems to be particularly relevant since the notions of style and genre are to be viewed as a complex of elements considered at different text levels. An integrative approach by K. Brinker and K. Adamzik and the multilevel model of text description by W. Heinemann compose the methodological basis of the research. The criteria of text description described in detail are used at the same time as the criteria of text classification by genres. An integrative analysis of zoo guidebooks is performed due to the text characteristics on the contextual (communicative situation), thematic (propositional), functional (illocutionary) and formal-grammatical levels, language means being the indicators of function and theme of the text. Zoo guidebooks appeared in the late 19th century, the Golden Age of bourgeoisie and knowledge accumulation, especially in the field of natural sciences, aimed at popularization of science and education of broad masses.
Our research has shown that during the 200-year-old existence of German zoo guidebooks their text composition has not been changed. The required structural components of the texts of German zoo guidebooks are identified. Besides facts about animals, which are typical themes of such texts, zoo guidebooks contain information about the zoo history and the rules of visitors’ behaviour, which are included in different parts of the guides (the historical and regulatory parts of the guidebook text). An introduction, a table of contents, a list of animals / register and advertising messages are also among the compulsory structural components of zoo guidebooks. At the propositional level of text analysis thematic elements are determined, means of ensuring coherence and the type of theme development are identified; at the functional level illocutions are characterized in their relations. Such specific features of texts of German zoo guidebooks as anthropomorphization of animals and implicit generalization are revealed.
The detailed analysis of illocutionary acts in the main body of zoo guidebook text demonstrates that function of providing the information about animals is performed through the speech act «description of an animal», which implies the characteristic of certain animal species. The description of an animal’s appearance, skills and character contains evaluation of different intensity, which depends on the number and originality of positively marked adjectives. The information given in the zoo guidebooks is сomprehensible for a reader and contains minimum of specific zoological terms. The explanations are intended as logical, well-ordered and persuasive presentation, as they provide a connection between the thematic elements of the text and conclusiveness of the message. The guidebook author not only refutes beliefs existing in the recipient’s consciousness, but tries to prevent wrong reasoning, which may arise from the immediate experience of visiting the zoo. Illocutions of orientation function «to pay attention», «to show the way» and directive function (restraints, demands in the rules of visitors’ behaviour) serve as the support of contact with the target audience (intensified by inclusive pronoun wir in the sentences that give directions along the route in the illocution «to show the way»). When the concept of zoo started to be implemented as an amusement park (after 1950s), the entertaining function has gained a greater importance. This can be seen in separate text segments of the «entertainment», subtopic of the main body of zoo guidebooks. An integrative analysis of the text style structure of German zoo guidebooks deals with the type of illocutionary acts, themes and sample formulations.
