Unusual words from the work Lefty. Nikolai Leskov. Lefty

By I'll tell you a story

One of the most bright images in the gallery of Leskov’s “righteous people” became Lefty (“The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea”, 1881). Subsequently, critics noted here, on the one hand, the virtuosity of the embodiment of Leskov’s “tale”, full of wordplay and original neologisms (often with a mocking, satirical overtone), on the other hand, the multi-layered nature of the narrative, the presence of two points of view: open (belonging to the simple-minded character) and hidden , author's, often the opposite. About this “treachery” own style N. S. Leskov himself wrote:

Several other people supported that in my stories it is really difficult to distinguish between good and evil, and that sometimes it’s even impossible to tell who is harming the cause and who is helping it. This was attributed to some innate cunning of my nature.

As biographer B. Ya. Bukhshtab noted, such “cunning” was manifested primarily in the description of the actions of Ataman Platov, from the hero’s point of view - almost heroic, but hiddenly ridiculed by the author. "Southpaw" was subjected to devastating criticism from both sides. Liberals and “leftists” accused Leskov of nationalism, while “rightists” considered the depiction of the life of the Russian people to be overly gloomy. N. S. Leskov replied that “to belittle the Russian people or to flatter them” was in no way his intention.

When published in Rus, as well as in a separate edition, the story was accompanied by a preface:

I cannot say where exactly the first breeding of the fable about the steel flea was born, that is, whether it started in Tula, Izhma or Sestroretsk, but, obviously, it came from one of these places. In any case, the tale of the steel flea is a specifically gunsmith legend, and it expresses the pride of Russian gunsmiths. It depicts the struggle of our masters with the English masters, from which ours emerged victorious and the English were completely shamed and humiliated. Here, some secret reason for military failures in Crimea is revealed. I wrote down this legend in Sestroretsk according to a local tale from an old gunsmith, a Tula native, who moved to the Sister River during the reign of Emperor Alexander the First.

Explanatory Dictionary

« Lefty »

A ___________________

Agitation is a combination of nouns: agitation (excitement, excitement - from the French agitation) and expectation. Kunstkamera - a collection of rarities, a museum.

Abolon Polvedere - instead of: Apollo Belvedere (the famous ancient statue kept in Rome, in the Vatican).

Alexey Fedotov-Chekhovsky is a priest of the Taganrog Cathedral Church, to whom Alexander I confessed before his death.

“Ay lyuli - se tre zhuli.” - Cest très joli (French) - this is very cute.

B__________________ _ Busters - a combination of words: busts and chandeliers.

Canopy - instead of: canopy.

Storm meter is a combination of words: barometer and storm.

I would make him noble. - “Noble” - here it means: nobleman.

Recklessness is a combination of words: prejudice and recklessness.

Bobrinsky plant. - The refinery plant of Count A. A. Bobrinsky existed in the town of Smela, Kyiv province. from the 30s of the 19th century.

Bufta - instead of: bay.

IN___________________

In Candelabria... - obviously, instead of “in Calabria” (Calabria is a peninsula in Italy). Connected with the word: candelabra (candle stand).

Probability - instead of: variation (form of classical or character dance, built on jumping or finger movements, lasting one to two minutes).

Babylons - winding patterns, frills.

Look through the strongest microscope. - Tula craftsmen are still famous for the fineness of their work. Thus, the Soviet gunsmith M.I. Pochukaev “placed his signature on one stem of the ornament, only 0.1 mm wide; it is visible only with a strong magnifying glass."

G___________________

Hunchbacked - instead of: hunchbacked.

Grandevu - instead of: rendezvous (French rendez-vous - love date).

Count Kisselrode - Count Nesselrode Karl Vasilyevich (1780-1862), in 1822-1856 - Minister of Foreign Affairs.

D______

Twelve languages ​​- twelve nations. This expression often referred to Napoleon's army.

Before Riga's Dynaminde... - Dunamünde, since 1893 Ust-Dvinsk, now Daugavgriva - a port at the mouth of the Western Dvina.

... “two ninety versts”... - that is, 180 versts. Kizlyarka is a low-quality grape vodka produced in the city of Kizlyar in the Caucasus.

Multiplication dolbit. - Dolbitsa - a combination of words: table and chisel.

Double - connecting words: double and sit down

Dance dance. - Danser (French) - dance; here in the meaning of some dance form.

HER_________________ __ Erfix (French: air fixe - solid look) is a sobering agent added to water.

AND__________________

Zhukov tobacco. - In the 20-50s, pipe tobacco from the St. Petersburg factory of Vasily Zhukov was very popular.

Z___________________

Zusha is the river on which the city of Mtsensk stands; tributary of the Oka.

I/Y_________________

And god-making icons and grave-like heads and relics... - instead of: and miraculous icons I am myrrh-streaming (supposedly exuding fragrant myrrh) heads and relics.

Empress Elisaveta Alekseevna (1779-1826) - wife of Alexander I.

TO

Ceramide - instead of: pyramid

“Stone-cut” - carved from stone.

Root tube - carved from the root of a tree.

Chicken with lynx... - instead of: chicken with rice Tugament - instead of: document.

Kazamat - casemate (solitary cell in a fortress).

Slander is a combination of words: feuilleton and slander.

M_________________

Melkoscope - a combination of words: microscope and finely Merbluzy - instead of: camel.

Manton is the same as manto.

Mortimer's gun. - G. W. Mortimer - English gunsmith of the late 18th century.

Murin is a black man.

N_________________

Nymphosoria is a combination of the words: ciliates and nymph.

Waterproof cable - instead of: waterproof raincoat (a combination of the Russian word “waterproof” with the ending of the French adjective).

On Holy Athos... - Athos is a peninsula in Greece, on which there were many monasteries and hermitages, including Russian ones.

But he has some kind of boots on his hands. Just like a sapazhu monkey - a corduroy talma. - Boots - socks. Sapazhu is a genus of monkeys with short, thick fur. Talma is a long sleeveless cape. Plis is a cotton fabric similar to velvet.

On a cold paratha... - Paratha is probably instead of a front porch.

“Noshchiyu” - at night.

ABOUT___________________

Ozyamchik - azyam, long-brimmed peasant outerwear.

From the Anichkin Bridge from the nasty pharmacy... - that is, from the pharmacy opposite the Anichkov Bridge (at the corner of Nevsky Prospekt and the Fontanka embankment).

Obukhvinskaya hospital - instead of: Obukhvinskaya.

P___________________

At his rise... - that is, at the beginning of his reign.

He will sit under the present... - Present (gift) is here instead of: tarpaulin.

Half-skipper - instead of: sub-skipper - assistant skipper.

Bet - instead of: bet.

Undermedic - medical assistant, paramedic.

Public - a combination of words: public and police.

Pubel - obviously, instead of: poodle.

The sweaty spiral has become... - “Spiral” here is like a noun from the verb “spiral” (sweaty spiral - air stale with sweat) Folding - a folding icon painted on two or three doors.

Pistola is a pistol.

WITH___________________

Bend - bend.

Sugar molvo. - In the 10-20s of the 19th century in St. Petersburg there was a sugar factory “of the commerce of the adviser and gentleman” Ya. N. Molvo.

Saint of Myra-Lycia... - Nicholas the “miracle worker” (IV century) was an archbishop in the city of Myra in the country of Lycia (in Asia Minor).

Whistling - a combination of words: messenger and whistle.

His beloved daughter Alexandra Nikolaevna... - Alexandra Nikolaevna (1825-1844) - the youngest daughter of Nicholas I.

Studing is a combination of words: pudding and jelly.

Symphon - instead of: siphon (a bottle with a tap for sparkling or mineral water).

With a boilie - with a fight, with beatings.

T___________________

Back then Sestroretsk was called Sesterbek. - In geographical books XVIII and early XIX centuries Sestroretsk, as well as the Sestra River on which it stands, are named: Sesterbek; Sisterbek, Sestrabek, Sisterbek.

Couch - instead of: couch.

Solid Earth Sea - instead of: Mediterranean.

F ___________________

Postilion - a horse coachman on the front horse when harnessed in a train.

H_________________

A clock with a chime. - Trepetir - a combination of words: repeater (a mechanism in a pocket watch that chimes time when a special spring is pressed) and tremble.

SCH__________________

Shchiglets - instead of: boots.

« I cannot say where exactly the first breeding of the fable about the steel flea was born, that is, whether it started in Tula, Izhma or Sestroretsk, but, obviously, it came from one of these places. In any case, the tale of the steel flea is a specifically gunsmith legend, and it expresses the pride of Russian gunsmiths. It depicts the struggle of our masters with the English masters, from which ours emerged victorious and the English were completely shamed and humiliated. Here, some secret reason for military failures in Crimea is revealed. I wrote down this legend in Sestroretsk according to a local tale from an old gunsmith, a Tula native, who moved to the Sister River during the reign of Emperor Alexander the First.” Leskov, Nikolai Semenovich

Municipal educational institution

"Secondary general education

Russian-Tatar school No. 000

Sovetsky district of Kazan"

Research work

on topic:

"Folk etymology in the tale

"Lefty."

Done the job

Zagidullina Denmark.

Checked the work

and literature

Solovyova M. G.

Kazan - 2009

Target:

Identify and describe the phenomenon of folk etymology in the tale “Lefty”.

Tasks:

Find out the understanding of the morphemic composition of a word and the motivation for its meaning based on convergence with consonant words that are different from it in origin.

Relevance:

The fate of Lefty symbolizes for Leskov the fate of the entire nation, the potential of which is enormous, but constrained by external circumstances. In the tale, the writer embodies the epic image of a gifted master living in the consciousness of the people. To do this, Leskov uses the technique of “folk etymology” - distortion of a word in a folk way, reproducing dialect ordinary people, which is relevant and informative today.

Practical meaning:

If a student knows from which language a word came into Russian, how it is formed, and what its etymology is, then he will never make a spelling mistake.

1. Introduction.

2. Main part.

B) Folk etymology.

3. Conclusion.

1.Introduction.

In the tale “Lefty” we encounter many new words. Word creation begins where the narrator or hero encounters non-Russian names that are incomprehensible to an illiterate person. The artisan, talking about things unfamiliar and foreign to him, distorts their names according to his idea of ​​them. But at the same time, the narrator puts a humorous meaning into them in the spirit of popular understanding.

The irregularities that appear in the text reflect folk etymology (the science of the origin and history of words). Big encyclopedic dictionary defines folk etymology as the understanding morphemic composition words and the motivation for its meaning based on convergence with consonant words that are different from it in origin. In other words, folk etymology is an alteration and rethinking of a borrowed (less often native) word based on the model of a word in the native language that is close in sound to it, but which differs from it in origin. Unlike scientific etymology, folk etymology is based not on the laws of language development, but on the random similarity of words.

Researchers have documented more than 3,000 tumors different parts speeches in Leskov’s works. He was the first in Russian literature to consistently use this method of word formation as an artistic device.

This is a trait individual style writer.
Word game displays assessment, creates comic effect. It characterizes one’s outlook, attitude towards the usual phenomena of life, as well as another culture (the life of kings, English workers). In addition, word creation, “linguistic tricks,” wit, and buffoonery are manifestations of the talent of the Russian people, because the ability to speak “outlandishly” is not granted to everyone, just like any skill.

3. Main part.

A) "Left-handed". The originality of the genre.

The colorful character of a gifted Russian man and his fate in Russia are the focus of attention in his tale “Lefty”. The writer actively uses the traditions of folk tales, oral tradition, jokes. Striving for authenticity of the image folk life, the writer resorts to specific storytelling techniques developed by folklore, which ensure maximum objectivity of the story.

The plot of the tale is based on the characteristic folk epic motive of competition, rivalry, struggle.

The whole story is told from the perspective of a common man. It would seem that Leskov does not find himself anywhere. But in covering events, it is important for Leskov not only to see the whole story through the eyes of a character close to the hero, but also to correct him. Leskov reminds of himself either with a caustic word, or with a deliberately satirical depiction, or with a sad reflection. No matter how skilled Lefty is, his craft loses a lot from the fact that he creates on a whim, by inspiration, without taking into account the simplest knowledge. Therefore, Leskov is not only admired by the skill of the Russian man, but is sarcastic. His satire is directed, of course, not at Lefty, who “doesn’t know how to read and write,” but at those who excommunicated him from enlightenment and left his talent gray, unfinished. The fate of Lefty symbolizes for Leskov the fate of the entire nation, the potential of which is enormous, but constrained by external circumstances. Therefore, without abandoning the hymn to the talent of the ordinary Russian person, Leskov significantly sharpens satirical image, and the whole tale takes on a tragic sound. Leskov seems to be confronting two intonations and narratives: laudatory and sarcastic. The motive of rivalry allows the writer to give an incident, occasion, or curiosity a national, generalizing meaning. The life of a talented person in Russia, according to the writer, is tragic and unnecessary to anyone. But Leskov does not lose faith in folk character, in his resilience, humane and moral principles.

In the tale, he embodies the epic image of a gifted master living in the consciousness of the people. The writer uses the technique of “folk etymology” - distortion of the word in a popular way, reproduces the oral dialect of ordinary people: “multiplication dot”, “two-light” (double), “nymphosoria” (ciliates), “prelamut” (mother of pearl), “without -reason”, etc.

Concluding the story about Lefty, he wrote: “This is their epic, and, moreover, with a very “human soul.” The writer strove to ensure that the thoughts and beliefs dear to him seemed to come from the people’s heart. That's why he introduced so widely folklore motives, and the whole tale grew out of the proverb “The Tula people shoed a flea.”

B) Folk etymology.

The phenomenon of folk etymology is a striking sign of vernacular speech, therefore, to characterize the speech of their characters, writers often resort to using words reinterpreted by accidental consonance and semantic similarity. This is the phenomenon we observe.

What interesting examples folk etymology we find in? Here is an incomplete list of words that illustrate the phenomenon of folk etymology.

    couch - "couch" messengers - “whistle” table - “dobe” Apollo Belvedere - "Abolon of Polvedere" camel - "marble" pyramids - “ceramides” variations - "beliefs" mother of pearl - “prelamut” poodle - "pubel" document - “tugament” pudding - "studding" socks - “boots” dance - "danse" microscope - "melkoskop" pari - "parey" bay - "buffa" Mediterranean - "Solid Earth" barometer - "storm meter" “nymphosoria” - from the words nymph and ciliates “public” - from the words public and police “slander” - from the words feuilleton and slander.

Let's try to explain how some of these hilarious words came about. In my opinion, it is completely clear why the socks were called boots. They put them on their feet! And the messengers used a whistle to attract attention. Probably, the barometer received an even more accurate name: it can be used to determine the approach of bad weather or a storm. This is where the storm meter appears in the speech of Leskov’s heroes. And the beliefs sound quite reasonable, because the word “variation” comes from the Latin “change.”

It is interesting to use word-formation models of the Russian language to explain words of foreign origin.

Pudding is a casserole made from porridge, cottage cheese, and fruit. Apparently, this meal reminded our heroes Russian dish- jelly.

A feuilleton is a newspaper or magazine article on a topical topic, using humorous and satirical devices presentation. However, false information can also be used in feuilletons. And then it really turns into slander.


In a similar way, the words appeared: melkoscope, stormmeter, nymphosoria, public, etc.

The tale contains many linguistic oddities in the spirit of buffoons; even in the emperor’s language there are irregularities. The language of the tale imitates living oral speech. The narrator speaks on behalf of the people themselves, therefore he distorts unfamiliar, especially foreign words so that they become close and understandable to him. The distortion of words revealed folk wit (slander), resourcefulness (storm meter), and irony (Count Kiselvrode).

The term folk etymology was introduced by the German linguist Förssmann in the middle of the last century. In Russia, such prominent scientists as de Courtenay, modern linguists, and others wrote about folk etymology. However, when describing folk etymology modern authors mainly use examples from the fund created by Russian linguists on turn of XIX-XX centuries and replenished very sparingly. This suggests that folk etymological words appear, firstly, in oral speech, and secondly, among illiterate people or people who have not received sufficient education, and are not written down or recorded. With growth scientific knowledge and linguistic culture, this phenomenon may disappear altogether.

Nowadays, the principle of bringing together different but somewhat consonant words, characteristic of folk etymology, is used by some students when writing dictations. Of course, such “folk etymology” does not save them; on the contrary, it leads to spelling errors. This happens when in a word (and even a foreign one) there is a vowel [a] or [o], [e] that cannot be verified by stress. So the writer is looking for an explanation, bringing together the word he needs with a similar sounding one and does not take into account that they are etymologically completely unrelated. For example, how to write the word vanilla (French vanille) and morality (French moga1e)? A person who is not literate enough can write “stink” and “smear”, elevating vanilla to the word stink, and morality to the verb to dirty. If the student knows from which language the word came into the Russian language, how it was formed, what its etymology is, then he will never make a spelling mistake. Let's look into the etymological dictionary more often!

3. Conclusion.

Leskov called himself an “artist of style,” that is, a writer who masters living, not literary speech. From this speech he drew its imagery and strength, clarity and precision, lively emotional excitement and musicality. Leskov believed that in the Oryol and Tula provinces the peasants spoke surprisingly figuratively and accurately. “So, for example,” the writer reports, “a woman does not say about her husband, “he loves me,” but says, “he pities me.” Think about it, and you will see how complete, tender, accurate and clear it is. A husband does not talk about a pleasant wife says that he “liked” her, he says, “she came to all my thoughts.” Look again, how clear and complete she is.

In an effort to enrich and strengthen the linguistic means of artistic depiction and expressiveness, Leskov skillfully used the so-called folk etymology. Its essence lies in rethinking words and phrases in the spirit of the common people, as well as in the sound deformation of words (especially of foreign origin). Both are carried out on the basis of corresponding semantic and sound analogies. In the story "Lady Macbeth" Mtsensk district" we read: “Few people will speak to you with a long tongue.” In “Warrior”: “Why are you... you’re really disgusting yourself.” In “Lefty”: “two-seater carriage”, “small scope”, “nymphosoria”, etc. n. Of course, Leskov overheard such speeches not for the sake of aesthetic collecting or photographic copying, but in the name of achieving certain ideological and artistic goals. Reinterpretation and sound deformation of words and phrases in the narrator’s speech often gave the language of the work an almost imperceptible comic or parody-satirical quality. humorous and ironic tone.

Literature used:

1. Encyclopedia for children. T. 10: Linguistics. Russian language. M., 1999.

2. , Bobrova dictionary of the Russian language. M., 1994.

3. , Telenkova - reference book linguistic terms. M., 1985.

4. http://*****

5. http://ru. wikipedia. org/

6. http://*****

7. ksana k / people / ru / book / 3 tom / 3 / literature / 12/ htm Features of the poetics of works

SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE

"FIRST STEPS INTO SCIENCE"

LANGUAGE FEATURES OF N. S. LESKOV’S TALE “LEFT-HANDED.”

Completed by a student of grade 8 "G" MOBU secondary school No. 4

Mayatskaya Anastasia.

(Scientific supervisor)

Dostoevsky's equal - he is a missed genius.

Igor Severyanin.

Any subject, any activity, any work seems uninteresting to a person if it is not clear. The work of Nikolai Semenovich Leskov “Lefty” is not very popular among seventh graders. Why? I think because it is complex and incomprehensible to schoolchildren of this age. And when you start to think about it, figure it out, assume and get to the bottom of the truth, then things open up. most interesting moments. And personally, I now think the story “Lefty” is one of the most extraordinary works of Russian literature, in the linguistic structure of which so much is hidden for a modern schoolchild...

The linguistic features of the story “Lefty” were subject of study our work. We tried to deal with every word usage unusual for the modern Russian language, and, if possible, find the reasons for the differences. We had to track changes of this kind in all sections of the language: phonetics, morphemics, morphology, syntax, punctuation, spelling, orthoepy. This is what it's all about structure our work is a description of linguistic changes in different sections of the language, although it should be noted right away that this classification is very relative, because some language changes can be attributed to several sections at once (however, like many phenomena of modern language).

So , target work - study the work “Lefty” (The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea) for its linguistic features, identify word usages unusual for the modern Russian language at all language levels and, if possible, find explanations for them.

2. The reasons for the occurrence of inconsistencies in word usage in the tale “Lefty” and the modern Russian language.

“The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea” was published in 1881. It is clear that significant changes have occurred in the language over 120 years - and this first reason appearance of discrepancies with modern standards word usage.

The second one is genre feature. “Lefty” entered the treasury of Russian literature also because it brought to perfection such a stylistic device as the skaz.

A tale is, by definition, “an artistic orientation towards an oral monologue of a narrative type; it is an artistic imitation of monologue speech.” If you think about the definition, it will become obvious that a work of this genre is characterized by a mixture of spoken (“oral monologue”) and book (“artistic imitation”) speech.

“Skaz”, as a word in the Russian language, clearly comes from the verb “skazat”, the full meaning of which is perfectly explained by: “speak”, “explain”, “notify”, “say” or “bayat”, that is fantastic style goes back to folklore. It is closer not to literary, but to colloquial speech(which means a large number of colloquial word forms, words of so-called folk etymology, are used). The author, as it were, is eliminated from the narrative and reserves the role of recording what he hears. (Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka is in this style). In "Lefty" the imitation of oral monologue speech is carried out at all levels of language, Leskov is especially inventive in word creation. And this second reason discrepancies with modern literary norms.

Sources artistic language The writer's experiences are varied - they are primarily associated with his stock of life observations, deep acquaintance with the life and language of various social groups. The sources of the language were ancient secular and church books and historical documents. “On my own behalf, I speak in the language of ancient fairy tales and church folk in purely literary speech,” said the writer. In my notebook Leskov lists ancient Russian words and expressions that interested him for their expressiveness, which he later uses in the text. works of art. Thus, in the texts of the works the author also used Old Russian and Church Slavonic word forms, rooted in the distant linguistic past. And this third reason discrepancies between language word forms in Leskov’s work and modern ones.

Igor Severyanin, also distinguished by his unusual word-creation, once wrote a sonnet dedicated to him. There were lines:

Dostoevsky's equal, he is a missed genius.

Enchanted wanderer of the catacombs of language!

It is through these catacombs of language in Leskov’s work “Lefty” that I suggest you go.

VOCABULARY.

Turning to popular vernacular, colloquial language, folk expressions, using words with folk etymology, Leskov tries to show that Russian folk speech extremely rich, talented, expressive.

Obsolete words and forms of words.

The text of the work “Lefty”, of course, is unusually rich in archaisms and historicisms (chubuk, postilion, kazakin, erfix (sobering agent), talma...), but any modern edition contains required quantity footnotes, explanations of such words, so that each student can read them independently. We were more interested obsolete forms of words:

Comparative adjective more useful, that is, more useful;

The participle “servant” as a noun from the lost verb “serve”: “... showed to the servant on the mouth."

The short participle of “blankets” (that is, dressed) from the disappeared blanket.

The participle “hosha”, formed from the verb “to want” (with the modern suffix –sh-, by the way)

The use of the word “although” instead of the modern “though”: “Now if I had Although there is one such master in Russia..."

The case form “on digits” is not a mistake: along with the word “digit”, there also existed the now obsolete (with a touch of irony) form “tsifir”.

Obsolete form of the adverb " alone" instead of "however".(Like " far away burst out: hurray "y).

The appearance of the so-called prosthetic consonant “v” between vowels

(“right-wingers") was characteristic of the Old Russian language in order to eliminate the unusual phenomenon of gaping (confluence of vowels).

Colloquial expressions:

-“...a glass of sour milk choked out";

-“..great I’m driving”, that is, quickly

-“...so watered without mercy,” that is, they beat.

-“...something will take..." that is, it will distract.

-“...smoked without stop"

Pubel poodle

Tugament instead of document

Kazamat - casemate

Symphon - siphon

Grandevu - rendezvous

Schiglets = boots

Washable – washable

Half skipper-sub skipper

Puplection - apoplexy (stroke)

Words with folk zytymology, most often formed by combining words.

Coach two-seater– a combination of the words “double” and “sit down”

There are fluctuations in the gender of nouns in the text, which is typical literary norm of that time: ". .shutter slammed"; and unusual, erroneous forms: “his by force did not hold back", that is, the instrumental case according to the model masculine declined, although the nominative case is a feminine noun.

Mixing of case forms. The word “look” can be used both with nouns in V. p. and with nouns in R. p.., Leskov mixed these forms: “... in different states miracles look."

- “Everything here is in your sight,” and provide.”, that is, “view”.

- “... Nikolai Pavlovich was terrible... memorable." (instead of “memorable”)

- “...they look at the girl without hiding, but with all relatedness.”(relatives)

-“...so that not a single minute for the Russian usefulness didn’t disappear” (benefits)

Inversion:

- “...now very angry.”

- “...you will have something worthy of presenting to the sovereign’s splendor.”

Mixing styles (colloquial and bookish):

- “...I want to go to my native place as soon as possible, because otherwise I might get a form of insanity.”

-“...no emergency holidays” (special)

- “...wants a detailed intention to discover about the girl...”

-“..from here with the left-hander and foreign species have come.”

-“...we’re going to look at their weapons chamber of curiosities, there are such nature of perfection"

- “...every person has everything for himself absolute circumstances has." In addition, the use of such a form of the predicate verb is not typical of the Russian language (as, for example, English; and it is the English that the hero is talking about).

-“.. I don’t know now , for what need Is this kind of repetition happening to me?

Conclusion.

As can be seen from the examples given, changes have occurred at all levels of language. I believe that having become acquainted with at least some of them, seventh graders will not only receive new information, but will also be very interested in reading the work “Lefty”.

For example, we suggested that our classmates work with examples from the “Vocabulary” section, here you can show your ingenuity, your linguistic flair, and no special preparation is required. Having explained several variants of words with folk etymology, they offered to figure out the rest on their own. The students were interested in the work.

And I would like to end my research with the words of M. Gorky: “Leskov is also a wizard of words, but he did not write plastically, but told stories, and in this art he has no equal. His story is an inspired song, simple, purely Great Russian words, descending one after another into intricate lines, sometimes thoughtfully, sometimes laughingly, ringing, and you can always hear in them a reverent love for people...”

1.Introduction (relevance of the topic, structure of the work, purpose of the study).

2. Reasons for the occurrence of inconsistencies in word usage in the work “Lefty” and in the modern Russian language.

3. Study of the language features of the tale “Lefty” at all levels:

Vocabulary;

Morphology;

Word formation;

Phonetics;

Textual criticism;

Syntax and punctuation;

Spelling.

4. Conclusion.

Literature used.

1. . Novels and stories, M.: AST Olimp, 1998

2. . . Historical grammar of the Russian language.-M.: Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1963

3. . Dictionary living Great Russian language (1866). Electronic version.

The storytelling style of Nikolai Semyonovich Leskov’s “Lefty” presupposes the presence of a storyteller, a storyteller who not only narrates the events described in the work, but is himself a participant in these events. Therefore, the language and style of the tale reproduce living oral speech. The tale “Lefty” is full of diverse and very colorful words that reflect not only inner world heroes, but also them social status and education.

“...This popular, vulgar and pretentious language, in which many pages of my works are written, was not composed by me, but was overheard from a peasant, from an intellectual, from eloquent speakers, from holy fools and saints,” wrote N.S. Leskov.

Leskov himself said that the idea for the tale “Lefty” arose from a proverb that talks about what the British did steel flea, and the Russians shoed this flea. And in the tale itself we meet folk sayings: “At least he has a sheep’s fur coat, but a human soul.”

The writer builds his work by stylizing some episodes, for example, as a fairy tale. Thus, the dialogue between the Tsar and Platov resembles a fairy tale opening:

“The Emperor says: “What do you, courageous old man, want from me?” And Platov replies: “I, Your Majesty, don’t need anything for myself...”

The speech of simple artisans in Leskov is typical of common people. The left-handed man, in response to the sovereign’s proposal to use a microscope while the craftsmen are working, replies that they can do the work without a “small scope”, since they already have a “shot eye.”

But the reader will see Leskov’s so-called “word creation” where the character encounters a foreign concept that is incomprehensible to an illiterate person. This is how distorted words appear: “Abolon polvedersky”, instead of busta - “busters”, “ukushka” instead of couch, “whistle”, while messengers should be used or instead of table - “dolbitsa”. Leskov's characters interpret some foreign words in a rather unique way, clarifying their meaning in their own way. Probably clearer to the common man the expression is “wind cap”, and not some strange “hood” or “waterproof cables” - “galoshes”.

Emperor Alexander I looks quite peculiar in the tale “Lefty.” Leskov says that Alexander Pavlovich decided not to go to Europe, but to “take a ride.” This word is close in structure and meaning to a word like “to take a ride,” that is, to take a superficial walk. Thus, the author belittles the image of the king, who makes a rather frivolous journey. But the use of the verb “gasp” in the emperor’s speeches shows how lost and helpless he looks in the eyes of readers.

The impression of authenticity of what is happening in the tale “Lefty” is created largely thanks to the living, believable language of Leskov’s characters. At one time, the writer opposed the introduction of alien and dissonant words into the Russian language. foreign words. Therefore we are in this work We see a parody of the use in the Russian language of words that do not take root in it, coming from the West.

“We must protect our rich and beautiful language from damage,”

Wrote N.S. Leskov in 1878. This call from a nineteenth-century writer is more relevant than ever now, when our language is under powerful attacks that are destroying its integrity and originality!

The topic of patriotism was often raised in works of Russian literature late XIX century. But only in the story “Lefty” is it connected with the idea of ​​the need careful attitude to talents that ennoble the face of Russia in the eyes of other countries.

History of creation

The story “Lefty” first began to be published in the magazine “Rus” Nos. 49, 50 and 51 from October 1881 under the title “The Tale of Tula Lefty and about the steel flea (Workshop Legend)." The idea for Leskov’s creation of the work was the popular joke that the British made a flea, and the Russians “shod it and sent it back.” According to the testimony of the writer’s son, his father spent the summer of 1878 in Sestroretsk, visiting a gunsmith. There, in a conversation with Colonel N.E. Bolonin, one of the employees of the local arms factory, he found out the origin of the joke.

In the preface, the author wrote that he was only retelling a legend known among gunsmiths. This well-known technique, once used by Gogol and Pushkin to give special authenticity to the narrative, in in this case did Leskov a disservice. Critics and the reading public literally took the writer’s words, and subsequently he had to specifically explain that he was, after all, the author, and not a reteller of the work.

Description of the work

Leskov's story would most accurately be called a story in terms of genre: it presents a large time layer of the narrative, there is a development of the plot, its beginning and conclusion. The writer called his work a story, apparently in order to emphasize the special “narrative” form of narration used in it.

(The Emperor examines the savvy flea with difficulty and interest)

The story begins in 1815 with the trip of Emperor Alexander I with General Platov to England. There, the Russian Tsar is presented with a gift from local craftsmen - a miniature steel flea that can “drive with its antennae” and “switch with its legs.” The gift was intended to show the superiority of English masters over Russians. After the death of Alexander I, his successor Nicholas I became interested in the gift and demanded to find craftsmen who would be “no worse than anyone.” So in Tula, Platov called three masters, among them Lefty, who managed to shoe a flea and put the name of the master on each horseshoe. The left-handed man did not leave his name, because he forged nails, and “no small scope can take it there.”

(But the guns at court were cleaned the old fashioned way.)

Lefty was sent to England with a “savvy nymphosoria” so that they would understand that “this is not surprising to us.” The British were amazed by the jewelry work and invited the master to stay and showed him everything they had learned. Lefty could do everything himself. He was struck only by the condition of the gun barrels - they were not cleaned with crushed bricks, so the shooting accuracy from such guns was high. Lefty began to get ready to go home, he urgently needed to tell the Emperor about the guns, otherwise “God bless the war, they are not suitable for shooting.” Out of boredom, Lefty drank all the way English friend“half-skipper”, fell ill and upon arrival in Russia found himself near death. But until the last minute of his life he tried to convey to the generals the secret of cleaning guns. And if Lefty’s words had been brought to the attention of the Emperor, then, as he writes,

Main characters

Among the heroes of the story there are fictional and there are personalities who actually existed in history, including: two Russian Emperor, Alexander I and Nicholas I, ataman of the Don Army M.I. Platov, prince, Russian intelligence agent A.I. Chernyshev, Doctor of Medicine M.D. Solsky (in the story - Martyn-Solsky), Count K.V. Nesselrode (in the story - Kiselvrode).

(Left-handed "nameless" master at work)

The main character is a gunsmith, left-handed. He has no name, only a craftsman's peculiarity - he worked with his left hand. Leskov's Lefty had a prototype - Alexey Mikhailovich Surnin, who worked as a gunsmith, studied in England and, after returning, passed on the secrets of the business to Russian craftsmen. It is no coincidence that the author did not give the hero given name, leaving the common noun - Lefty is one of those depicted in different works the type of righteous person, with their self-denial and sacrifice. The hero's personality has pronounced national traits, but the type was created to be universal, international.

It is not for nothing that the hero’s only friend, about whom the story is told, is a representative of a different nationality. This is a sailor from the English ship Polskipper, who did his “comrade” Lefty a disservice. To dispel the longing of his Russian friend for his homeland, Polskipper made a bet with him that he would outdrink Lefty. Large quantity drinking vodka became the cause of the illness and then the death of the yearning hero.

Lefty's patriotism is contrasted with the false commitment to the interests of the Fatherland of the other heroes of the story. Emperor Alexander I is embarrassed in front of the British when Platov points out to him that Russian craftsmen can do things just as well. Nicholas I's sense of patriotism is mixed with personal vanity. And the brightest “patriot” in Platov’s story is such only abroad, and upon arriving home, he becomes a cruel and rude serf owner. He does not trust Russian craftsmen and is afraid that they will spoil the English work and replace the diamond.

Analysis of the work

(Flea, savvy Lefty)

The work differs in genre and narrative originality. It resembles the genre of a Russian fairy tale, based on a legend. There is a lot of fantasy and fabulousness in it. There are also direct references to the plots of Russian fairy tales. So, the emperor first hides the gift in a nut, which he then puts in a golden snuff box, and the latter, in turn, hides in a travel box, almost the same way as the fabulous Kashchei hides a needle. In Russian fairy tales, tsars are traditionally described with irony, just as in Leskov's story both emperors are presented.

The idea of ​​the story is the fate and place in the state of a talented master. The entire work is permeated with the idea that talent in Russia is defenseless and not in demand. It is in the interests of the state to support it, but it brutally destroys talent, as if it were a useless, ubiquitous weed.

Another ideological theme the work became a contrast between real patriotism folk hero the vanity of the characters from upper strata society and the country's rulers themselves. Lefty loves his fatherland selflessly and passionately. Representatives of the nobility are looking for reasons to be proud, but do not give themselves the trouble to make life in the country better. This consumer attitude leads to the fact that at the end of the work the state loses another talent, which was sacrificed to the vanity of first the general, then the emperor.

The story “Lefty” gave literature the image of another righteous man, now on the martyr’s path of serving the Russian state. The originality of the language of the work, its aphorism, brightness and accuracy of wording made it possible to parse the story into quotes that were widely circulated among the people.