Notes «umen'shitel'noe» ‘diminutive’ and «uvelichitel'noe» ‘augmentative’ in «Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language» by N. Yu. Shvedova

“Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language” by N. Yu. Shvedova, addressed to a wide range of readers, uses the traditional system of lexicographic notes, while the introductory materials of the dictionary does not explain what they mean. The object of research is the notes «umen'shitel'noe» ‘diminutive’ and «uvelichitel'noe» ‘augmentative’, the internal form of which gives the impression of self-evidence of their meaning, but they are used differently. The purpose of the work is to model the reasoning of the reader who wants to understand what these notes mean, and relies only on this dictionary. The authors use the method of semantic and syntactic analysis of explanations and the method of comparing. The novelty of the research lies in the careful study of notes, which were not previously considered in the lexicographic aspect. The article shows that in the analyzed dictionary the notes «umen'shitel'noe» and «uvelichitel'noe» are used in accordance with the terminological, but not the common language meaning. The explanations of terminological meanings can be interpreted in two ways, although in the dictionary each metalanguage unit must be understood unambiguously. The analysis of these notes in their relation to expressive-evaluative ones leads to their understanding as indicating only the size or degree as in the common language. Finally, the analysis of several examples of attribution of notes returns to one of the possible terminological understandings. All this creates difficulties for readers: an ordinary non-linguist will most likely understand these notes in a common language meaning; more attentive readers, including linguists, those who analyze the dictionary entries will get different, possibly contradictory, information about the meaning of the notes. Thus, the meaning of the lexicographic notes, even those that, at first glance, seem generally understandable, must necessarily be explained in the introductory materials of the dictionary.

lexicography, semantics, metalanguage, explanatory dictionary, Natalia Yulevna Shvedova, lexicographic note, system of notes, umen'shitel'noe ‘diminutive’, uvelichitel'noe ‘augmentative’, meaning of the note