Semantic and Stylistic Variations of Synonyms and Conceptually Related Terms in Syunik-Artsakh Dialect
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1602.05Keywords:
synonymy, stylistic stratification, semantic variation, Syunik-Artsakh dialect, lexical borrowingAbstract
While synonymy in standard Armenian is a well-established field, its manifestation in dialectal contexts, particularly in the historically rich Syunik-Artsakh region, remains underexplored. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the semantic and stylistic stratification of synonyms, with a particular focus on the highly expressive conceptual domains of “lazy” and “foolish”. Integrating diachronic and synchronic methodologies, the research draws on a diverse range of sources, including Classical Armenian (Grabar) texts, dialectal data from philological studies, and original oral fieldwork. The analysis identifies a vast network of synonymous words and idioms that differ not only in form and meaning but also in pragmatic function, emotional tone, and stylistic register. It examines the key mechanisms of synonym formation, tracing the evolution of native vocabulary (e.g., the semantic shift of anban from ‘irrational’ to the dialectal anpen ‘lazy’) and the adaptation of loanwords from Persian, Turkish, Arabic, and Russian. The study highlights how metaphorical extension, often based on animal or object imagery, contributes to the expansion of these synonymic sets. Findings demonstrate that dialectal synonyms operate as a dynamic, multi-layered system where distinct word families and conceptually related terms merge into flexible semantic fields. Word choice is shown to be heavily contingent on situational context and speaker intent. The study concludes that stylistic stratification, shaped by the interplay of native linguistic development and prolonged foreign influence, is essential for understanding the functional and register-based distinctions that underpin the remarkable expressive richness of dialectal Armenian.
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