Германские языки | Филологический аспект №07 (111) Июль 2024

Некоторые особенности семантики мнемических глаголов английского языка в политическом дискурсе

Исхакова Рита Фанисовна
канд. филол. наук, доцент кафедры английского языка в сфере наук о Земле, Факультет иностранных языков, Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет, РФ, г. Санкт-Петербург, ritaiskhakova@gmail.com

Аннотация: Данная статья посвящена анализу особенностей употребления мнемических глаголов в английском языке и модификацию их лексического значения в политическом дискурсе с учетом прагматического аспекта. Исследование проводилось на материале видеозаписей выступлений высокопоставленных британских политиков по проблеме Брексита. При изучении языковой репрезентации работы памяти человека принимались во внимание следующие компоненты: субъект, мнемический глагол, информационный актант. Результаты работы могут быть полезны при изучении специфики языка политики.
Ключевые слова: индивидуальная память; социальная память; английский язык; политический дискурс; мнемические глаголы; забывать; вспоминать.

Iskhakova Rita Fanisovna
PhD in Philology, assistant professor of The Department of English Language in the sphere of Earth sciences, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Saint Petersburg State University, Russia, Saint Petersburg, ritaiskhakova@gmail.com

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the analysis of the use of memory verbs in the English language and the modification of their lexical meaning in political discourse. The study was conducted using video recordings of speeches by high-ranking British politicians on the issue of Brexit. The investigation of the linguistic representation of human memory work considered the following components: subject, mnemonic verb, and informational actant. The findings of this study may be useful for understanding some peculiarities of political language.
Keywords: individual memory; social memory; English language; political discourse; memory verbs; forget; remember.

One of the current trends in modern linguistics is a pronounced interest in political discourse. There are quite obvious reasons for that. All the things taking place in the world with the possibility of their various interpretations, rethinking our past contribute to the heightened attention to politics in general and different ways of studying it [1; 2; 3; 4; 5]. Thus, it enables one to say that this attempt to examine the peculiarities of using memory verbs by politicians is topical and timely and its findings can be useful for investigating the language of politics, which is distinctly different from everyday language because linguistic units are interpreted differently and “spade is no longer called a spade” [2, p. 23]. An attempt to find how the lexical meaning of memory verbs may be given a certain spin in political speeches can be viewed as a novelty.

The individual memory of a person is part of the collective memory of a community, a people, the whole humanity. Only those events that are unanimously regarded as valuable for a certain group get through this sieve of history. These are mostly memories of important victories or excruciating defeats, achievements or mistakes. Human memory is not purely a container as everything gets processed and reconsidered with more important aspects coming to the fore, that is why memorisation is never an exact copy of certain events. Moreover, there can even be distortions [6, p. 141]. The same holds through for the collective memory. Some of the causes of that are the ambiguity of historic events and the possibility of their subjective interpretation.

In the papers on the subject, there are several terms that are typically used to denote the memory of a group of people. Let us consider the main ones. M. Halbwachs introduced the term "collective memory" – a living repository, a complex network of social morals, values, ideals in accordance with the views of the groups they belong to [cited in: 7, pp. 229]. A. V. Sokolov writes about the social memory of society, which consists of knowledge, skills, stimuli, emotions useful for the life of that society; useless meanings are not committed to memory [8, p. 57]. J. Hartman distinguishes between collective and public memory [cited in: 7, p. 235-236]. Collective memory is associated with the growth of national consciousness. Public memory emerges as a reaction almost immediately after certain events occur. Hartman also speaks of official memory as a product of state manipulation, a form and the result of the politicisation of memory. Works on philosophy consider the politics of memory as a targeted activity to represent a certain image of the past, which is in demand in the contemporary political context, through various verbal and visual means. A.A. Linchenko and D.A. Anikin write that social memories are selective and are subject to manipulation. There is a constant system of relationships between individual memory and its place in the space of collective memory. Collective memory is characterized by the mosaic fragmented nature, selectivity, and mythologisation of public representations of the past, their ability to resist imposed official schemes of interpreting the past [9, p. 19].

The analysis of political discourse can make it possible to reveal and trace some of these tendencies. After T. van Dijk, we understand political discourse as a class of genres limited to the sphere of politics: government discussions, parliamentary debates, party programs, politicians' speeches [10, p. 72].

The aim of this article is to analyse the use of memory verbs in English political discourse, taking into account the pragmatic aspect. We are interested in the goals set by the speaker when using a particular memory verb in their speech. Since the primary objective of a politician's speech is to influence the audience and affect the views of listeners, we will trace how the use of the verbs remember and forget correlates with this intention.

The following steps were taken for this analysis:

1. We selected examples of the verbs remember and forget from speeches by senior British politicians on the topic of Brexit. The choice of this theme is due to the resonance and polarisation in society caused by Brexit. We believe that the analysis of mnemonic verbs in speeches on this topic allows us to clearly demonstrate the politicians' efforts to assert their point of view and win over the audience. The question of memory becomes particularly prominent during times of political and social upheaval, when the stakes are high and involve not just the image of the past but also the present and the future.

2. As the main tool for our analysis a mnemonic situation was used [11, p. 65]. It is an abstract model that has a specific structure allowing us to single out and describe those elements in the language that verbalise complex memory processes, i.e. how we represent in language the way our memory works. The mnemonic situation has the following parts:

• • The subject is an individual whose informational potential changes during the mnemonic process; in other words, the one who retains, loses, or retrieves information from their memory.
  • A memory process, represented in English by the memory verbs remember and forget, as well as their synonyms.
  • The informational actant: the information which is retained, forgotten, or retrieved from the subject's memory.
  • The informational causator: an impulse that initiates or triggers a memory process.

3. A comparative analysis of the meanings of memory verbs in the selected fragments and comparison with the speaker's intentions allowed us to identify the following groups of examples:

I. Memory verbs indicate the restoration of information by the subject or the realisation of the loss of information from the collective past. Thus, the verbs in question (remember and forget) are used by the speaker in their direct lexical meaning: to retain or restore something in memory / to lose information. Examples in this group include:

(1) "This morning I want to talk about the future of Europe. But first let us remember the past. 70 years ago Europe was being torn apart by its second catastrophic conflict in a generation."

(2) "As we remember their sacrifice, so we should also remember how the shift in Europe came about. It did not happen like a change in the weather. It happened because of determined work over generations."

Both examples illustrate mnemonic situations (MS) where the subject is expressed by the plural pronoun "we" that includes both the speaker and the entire British nation. By using the verb "remember," the speaker calls on the listeners to recall events from the collective past: significant events that have to be considered. The informational actant (IA) is represented by the nouns "the past" (Example 1), "their sacrifice" (Example 2), and the subordinate clause "how the shift in Europe came about" (Example 2). By recalling these, the speaker highlights their significance for the entire nation, particularly in relation to the upcoming steps and decisions regarding Brexit.

(3) After the Berlin Wall came down, I visited that city, and I will never forget it. The abandoned checkpoints, the sense of excitement about the future, the knowledge that a great continent was coming together, healing those wounds of our history, is the central story of the European Union [Ibidem].

(4) Since I was a child, I remember respectable authorities asserting that our time as a nation has passed and that we should be content with mediocrity and decline [14].

(5) I remember just after the referendum result receiving a text from a young person in my constituency, who had been subjected to abuse in the street for the first time [17].

In this group of examples (3 – 5), the subject of MS is represented by the personal pronoun "I," with the speaker being the subject. The informational actant is represented by personal memories (in example 5, IA is represented by a phrase) as well as collective past memories (in example 3, IA is expressed by the third-person pronoun "it," in Example 4, by a phrase).

II. In the next group of examples (6 – 8), the lexical meaning of the verb "forget" is somewhat modified with additional shades.

(6) Let’s never forget that whatever circumstances people are living in – whether in tents or camps or trying to survive on dangerous dinghies – everyone is a human being, and we must reach out the hand of humanity in all circumstances [16].

(7) But I can’t ignore what I learnt in government, nor can I forget the people who voted to leave Europe in the belief that it might improve their lives. If events go badly, their expectations will not be met and whole communities will be hurt [13].

(8) We will have closed forever a productivity gap, seen to it that no town is left behind ever again, no community ever forgotten. Our children and grandchildren will be living longer, happier, and healthier lives [14].

Examples 6, 7, and 8 illustrate the use of the verb "forget" when the component "overlook, fail to notice" comes to the forefront. The speaker regards this action as a mistake by the subject, either already made (Example 8) or potentially possible (Examples 6 and 7). The subject of MS is explicitly represented in Example 6 – "I," in Example 7 – "us," and implicitly in Example 8.

(9) Brexit is a historic mistake, it forgets the lessons of Britain’s past, it forgets the value of immigrants, it forgets that we cannot build a new empire by force, it forgets that in the modern world our nation will not flourish through isolation, but connection, cooperation, and a new vision for the common good. Brexit forgets why this continent came together after two bloody wars [19].

Example 9 also illustrates the use of the verb "forget" with the additional nuance of "ignore," but here the verb is used to point out the shortcomings of something or someone, or even to criticise an opponent, which is very characteristic of political discourse. This example is quite interesting as the mnemonic verb is used in this sense with the inanimate subject "Brexit," which does not have memory.

III. The next group of examples (10 – 12) illustrates cases where the verbs "forget" and "remember" are used to draw attention to unfulfilled promises of opponents and to criticise competitors; it should be noted that in such cases, the use of mnemonic verbs is characterised by a mocking tone.

 (10) Someone like Boris Johnson is perfectly prepared to advocate “No deal,” but you cannot possibly argue that the June 2016 referendum is a mandate for “no deal.” These guys said at the time, if you remember, that the deal was going to be easy. They said, you know, the Germans were queuing up to give us what we want [21].

(11) To begin with, seemingly in ignorance of the technical and political realities, the government thought it could pursue a cake-and-eat-it strategy. David Davis promised, if you remember, that we would secure a deal which took us out of the single market but with exactly the same benefits as being in it [15].

(12) And we know the mantra of the campaign that has just gone by, in case you have forgotten it, you probably have, it is “Deliver Brexit, unite the country, and defeat Jeremy Corbyn.” And that is what we are going to do [24].

In the examples above (10 – 12), the MS is part of a conditional clause with the conjunctions "if" or "in case," with the subject of all three MS being the personal pronoun "you," as the speaker addresses their audience, and the IA is represented by quoting their opponents (Examples 10 and 11) or self-quoting (Example 12). In Examples 10 and 11, recalling the words of political opponents serves to criticise them, while Example 12 illustrates the essence of Boris Johnson's political program in a humorous form. It should be noted that in all three examples, the speaker uses a conditional clause with MS (if you remember, in case you have forgotten) to justify quoting words that are already widely known, using this opportunity to criticise opponents or to reaffirm their position. As noted earlier, such examples are characterised by a mocking tone.

IV. The verbs "remember" and "forget" are used in statements with the meaning of request, warning, or threat:

(13) I set out the government’s position in detail in my statement yesterday, so I’m not going to do it again. But the key thing we should remember is this isn’t a commitment we’re making to the EU, it’s a commitment to the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland that they’ll be able to carry on living lives as they do today [25].

(14) With this extraordinary office of state, my job is to serve you, the people. Because if there is one point we politicians need to remember, it is that the people are our bosses [23].

(15) And it is why I set up an independent public inquiry into the tragedy at Greenwell Tower to search for the truth so nothing like it can ever happen and so the people who lost their lives that night are never forgotten because this country is a union [20].

(16) I’m afraid it will be remembered as one of the worst self-inflicted harms that a prime minister could do to himself ever, probably in British political history [22].

These examples (13 – 16) show the modified lexical meaning of memory verbs used in sentences with the meaning of request, warning, or threat. Examples 13 – 15  illustrate “requestive” statements (in the classification of speech acts by G.G. Pocheptsov), while Example 16 can be regarded as a “menacive” statement [12, p. 273]. In Examples 13 and 14, the subject is the personal pronoun "we," referring to British politicians led by the prime minister, while in Examples 15 and 16, the mnemonic verb, used in the passive voice, indicates that the subject, implicitly represented, is the entire British nation. The main difference in the verb "remember" in the examples of this group (13-16) is in the intentional nature, which it acquires in statements with the meaning of request, promise, or demand. In its primary meaning, the verb "remember" denotes an involuntary action.

Thus, the analysis allowed us to draw the following conclusions:

1. Considering the pragmatic aspect of the use of mnemonic verbs in the analysed material, it can be said that in a significant number of examples, the verbs "remember" and "forget" are used by the speaker not for direct reference to memory: when "remember" would mean the presence or restoration of information in an individual's memory, and "forget" its loss. The verbs are used to indicate the importance of specific information, someone’s mistakes, or for critical evaluation.
2. Many specific features of the use of these verbs are related to the nature of the chosen material. Although political speeches are not spontaneous, they are prepared in advance, the presence of an audience implies a direct address to them, as well as a possible immediate reaction. This makes it possible to use mnemonic verbs for mockery and teasing political competitors.
3. Since the political sphere in general, and the discussion of Brexit in particular, involves asserting one's position on a highly polarised issue, in a significant number of examples, mnemonic verbs were used to indicate deficiencies or to criticise certain views, groups, or parties.
4. The political context also influenced references to memories. Almost all examples with references to the past illustrate an appeal to the collective memory of the most significant historical and political events in Britain, Europe, and the world, which the speaker urges the audience to pay attention to. Only a few examples describe personal memories.

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Список источников
13. https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2017/02/john-majors-brexit-speech-full-transcript/ (дата обращения: 07.07.2024).
14. https://de.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-leader-speech-text/boris-johnsons-first-speech-to-parliament-as-uk-prime-minister-idUSKCN1UK1JK (дата обращения: 07.07.2024).
15. https://institute.global/brexit-time-prepare-peoples-vote (дата обращения: 07.07.2024).
16. https://labour.org.uk/press/jeremy-corbyn-brexit-speech-wakefield/ (дата обращения: 07.07.2024).
17. https://labour.org.uk/press/jeremy-corbyn-full-speech-britain-brexit/ (дата обращения: 07.07.2024).
18. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/9820230/David-Camerons-EU-speech-in-full.html (дата обращения: 07.07.2024).
19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Z58OOkkUU (дата обращения: 07.07.2024).
20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t25xAp270o (дата обращения: 07.07.2024).
21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_4hL2Xw5qU (дата обращения: 07.07.2024).
22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w66f1tPlbM4 (дата обращения: 07.07.2024).
23. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YypKBfFtovU (дата обращения: 07.07.2024).
24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DxlD0C8quQ (дата обращения: 07.07.2024).
25. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vlIPGQ1amM (дата обращения: 07.07.2024).