Linguistic Personality in the Old English Epic "Beowulf": a study of heroic and social elements

Uzhen' Gaova Senior Lecturer; Department of Russian Language; Xinjiang Normal University 119571, Russia, Moscow, Prospekt Vernadskogo str., 88, sq. 3 2747981051@qq.com Other publications by this author

Introduction

In modern linguistics, more and more attention is being paid to the study of language in the context of culture and society. Since the second half of the 20th century, within the framework of the anthropocentric paradigm, linguists have begun to pay increased attention to the concept of "linguistic personality", which reflects the complex interactions between language, thinking and cultural identity, linking the internal cognitive processes of an individual with the external manifestation of their linguistic activity. In this context, the analysis of the nomination system in the Old English epic "Beowulf" is of particular interest. The subject of this article is the nomination system in the epic "Beowulf" as a reflection of the linguistic personality and cultural concepts of Anglo-Saxon society. The purpose of the article is to identify the features of the linguistic worldview and the social structure of the Anglo-Saxons through the prism of the hero nomination system in the epic. In accordance with this goal, the following tasks are being solved: to characterize the features of the use of hero nominations in "Beowulf", to determine their connection with cultural concepts, to identify the reflection of the social structure in the nomination system. The research method is based on linguistic and cultural and conceptual analysis, which allows us to identify key concepts in the text and examine in detail the semantics of nominations in the context of the culture of Anglo-Saxon society. The relevance of this research is due to the growing interest in interdisciplinary approaches in the study of language and culture, as well as the need for a deeper understanding of the historical roots of modern English-speaking culture. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that for the first time an attempt has been made to comprehensively study the nominative system of heroic characters in the epic "Beowulf", which allows us to take a fresh look at the features of the worldview and value systems of the Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon peoples, revealing the deep connections between the language, thinking and social organization of ancient Germanic societies.

The main part

The concept of linguistic personality has deep roots in the history of linguistics. The origins of this concept can be traced in the works of German scientists of the XVIII-XIX centuries - V. von Humboldt and I.G. Herder, who were the first to put forward the idea of a close connection between language and thinking and culture. This concept was further developed in the works of the American linguist and anthropologist Edward Sapir, who studied the interaction of culture and personality ^{[1, 2]}. In his work "Speech as a personality trait", E. Sepir for the first time attempted to analyze how speech reflects personality through the prism of the interaction of social and individual factors ^[1]. This research laid the foundation for further study of linguistic personality in the context of sociolinguistics. A significant contribution to the development of the concept of linguistic personality was made by J. L. Weisgerber, who for the first time used the term "linguistic personality" in his book "Native language and the formation of the spirit". Weisgerber emphasized the social nature of language competence, arguing: "no one knows a language only because of his own linguistic personality; on the contrary, this linguistic proficiency grows in him on the basis of belonging to a linguistic community" [3: p. 81]. This idea emphasizes the dialectical connection between the individual and social aspects of linguistic personality.

In the Russian linguistic tradition in the 30s of the XX century, V.V. Vinogradov first used the term "linguistic personality" in his research, he focused on the tasks of studying literary language and the language of fiction, emphasizing the need to introduce the category of "author's image" ^[4]. In recent decades, the theory of linguistic personality has received significant development. The problem of linguistic personality has been studied by many scientists, such as G.I. Bogin ^{[5, 6]}, T.L. Guruleva ^{[7, 8]}, V.I. Karasik ^[9], Yu.N. Karaulov ^[10], T.S. Paderina ^{[11, 12]}, K.F. Sedov ^[13], L.N. Churilina ^[14] and others.

G.I. Bogin defines a linguistic personality as "a person considered from the point of view of his willingness to perform speech acts, create and accept works of speech" [5: p. 1]. In his opinion, a person's ability to speak, create and interpret texts is innate, but requires purposeful development through the development of language structures (grammar, vocabulary, phonetics) and cultural context ^[6].

Y.N. Karaulov in his book "The Russian Language and linguistic Personality" systematically outlined the theory of linguistic personality, defining it as "a multi-layered and multicomponent set of linguistic abilities, skills and readiness to perform speech actions of varying degrees of complexity" [10: p. 29]. He identified three main levels of the linguistic personality structure: verbal-semantic, thesaurus, and motivational.

Chinese scientist Zhao Aiguo argued that the linguistic personality as an objective being is actually an inevitable product of the historical development of the spiritual and material culture of the people. It is an object of transfer of national personality, national character, national consciousness and national experience from generation to generation [15: p. 12].

The linguistic personality can be considered from two main positions. On the one hand, this is any native speaker of a particular language, whose characteristics are formed based on the analysis of texts created by him. In this context, the emphasis is on using system language tools to express one's perception of the worldview and achieve specific goals in this world. On the other hand, this term also denotes a complex way of describing an individual's linguistic abilities, which connects the system representation of language with the functional analysis of texts [16: p. 671].

One of the aspects of linguistic personality research is the analysis of the units of nomination that a person creates or uses in discursive activity. These names are closely related to "the motives and goals of their creation in human discursive activity." Nominative units reflect various knowledge structures connected by a "predicative connection" and embody the idea of a figure and background in the nomination process [17: pp. 90-91]. Thus, they serve not only as linguistic constructions, but also as peculiar markers of cognitive processes and personal characteristics of a person, allowing a deeper understanding of the features of his linguistic personality. Each act of naming becomes a kind of imprint of individual perception and interpretation of the surrounding reality, embodied in a linguistic form.

The theoretical provisions discussed above create a methodological basis for the analysis of the nomination system in the Old English epic "Beowulf", which is an outstanding monument of Anglo-Saxon literature. The epic has been preserved to this day in a single manuscript dating from the end of the tenth to the beginning of the eleventh century, which determines its exceptional value as a linguistic source. Researchers attribute the creation of the poem itself to the 8th century, while the events described in it take place in the 5th-6th centuries [18: p. 32]. "Beowulf" represents an important window into early Northern European culture, reflecting the way of life, worldview, beliefs and values of Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon tribes. This outstanding work demonstrates not only the linguistic richness and expressivity of the language of its time, but also serves as a mirror reflecting the unique linguistic personality of the author and the cultural context of the era. The central place in the epic is occupied by heroic motifs embodied in the image of Beowulf and other characters. These elements are the key to understanding the values and ideals of Anglo-Saxon society.

In the Old English epic "Beowulf" two images of the hero are clearly manifested - the "hero-warrior" and the "hero-ruler" [19: p. 11]. These archetypal figures not only embody the most important social roles, but also allow us to better understand the place and significance of heroic characters in the structure of Anglo-Saxon society.

It is important to note that the war was an integral part of the life of Anglo-Saxon society. Constant conflicts between kingdoms, Viking raids, and internal strife created an atmosphere in which military qualities were highly valued. In this context, free people, especially members of the nobility, were required to participate in military campaigns at the call of their king or lord [20: p. 32].

The archetype of the "warrior hero" in the epic is represented by many nominations, which can be divided into several categories.: 1) simple words: beorn: "warrior, hero" (maère máðþumsweord | manige gesáwon || beforan beorn beran [21: cts. 1023-1024]), secg: "warrior, husband" (secg weorce gefeh [21: cts. 1569]); 2) complex words: dryhtguma: "The warrior" (semninga bið || þæt ðec, dryhtguma [21: cc. 1767-1768]), from dryht "detachment" + guma "man"; randwiga: "shield warrior" (Géat unigmetes wél || rófne randwigan | estan lyste [21: pp. 1792-1793]), from rand "shield" + wiga "warrior", etc.

This wealth of synonyms for a warrior in Old English reflects not only the lexical richness, but also the cultural significance of the military role in society. Of particular interest are the complex poetic constructions known as kennings. Kennings performed important functions in Old English poetry, they served as a powerful stylistic tool, enriching the language with complex metaphors, allowing storytellers to demonstrate their linguistic skills and encoded cultural information. As L.A. Manerko notes, compound words known as kennings were used to create a special stylistic effect. The syntactic complexity of the original compound words is achieved through the widespread use of double metaphors in lexical units [22: p. 183]. Kennings such as rand-wiga ("shield warrior") do not just designate a warrior, but create a multi-layered poetic image that requires decoding.

In the first part of the epic, Beowulf appears as a young, strong warrior who arrives in Denmark to help King Hrothgar get rid of the monster Grendel. In addition to the aforementioned warrior nominations, the following titles apply to him, reflecting his social status and role: 1) simple words: eorl: "noble man, chief, count" (code eorla sum [21: cc. 1312]); þegn: "(free) servant, vassal; warrior; tang" (Higeláces ðegn || yrre ond anraéd [21: cc. 1574-1575]); 2) compound words: lindgestealla: "shield-companion, comrade in battle" (lindgestealla | lifigende cwóm [21: stk. 1973]), from lind "linden, shield" + gestealla "companion"; 3) kennings: lid-manna helm: "leader of the sailors" (cóm þá to lande | lidmanna helm [21: cc. 1623]); wígendra hléo: "defender of warriors" (þæt ðaér on worðig | wígendra hléo || lindgestealla | lifigende cwóm[21: ctk. 1972-1973]) and others.

The term egn has a special meaning in Anglo-Saxon society. He points to the status of a free man who is obliged to serve his lord, including in military campaigns. This term not only denotes a vassal warrior, but also reflects a special social status. Tang was often a landowner who received land for military services. The position of the tang in the social structure of Anglo-Saxon society illustrates the close relationship between military service, land ownership and social responsibilities. Participation in military campaigns was a key aspect of the social role of the Tans [23: p. 272]. In the context of the social structure of Anglo-Saxon society, the Thanes formed an important part of the social hierarchy, along with kings, members of the royal family, earls and Gesites [20: pp. 30-31, 36].

While the image of the "warrior hero" in the epic "Beowulf" is characterized by many military nominations, the archetype of the "ruler hero" also has a rich system of titles and epithets. These names reflect various aspects of royal power and leadership in Anglo-Saxon society.

After Beowulf becomes the ruler of Gaut, the following titles are applied to him, reflecting his new social status: 1) simple words: fréa: "lord, master" (wígheafolan bær || fréan on fultum [21: cts. 2661-2662]); 2) derived words: æþeling: "prince, hero" (æþeling aérgód | ende gebídan || worulde lífes [21: cts. 2342-2343]). The word is derived from the Old English æþele "noble" with the addition of the suffix -ing, indicating origin or affiliation. cyning/kyning: "the king" (wæs ðá fród cyning || eald éþelweard [21: stk. 2209]). It comes from the Proto-Germanic kuningaz, associated with the root kun- "clan, tribe"; 3) compound words: éel-weard: "guardian of the native land, king" (wæs ðá fród cyning || eald éelweard [21: ctk. 2209-2210]), formed by combining éel "homeland" and weard "guardian, guardian". gúð-kyning: "the warrior king" (him ðæs gúðkyning || Wedera þíoden | wræce leornode [21: pp. 2235-2236]), consists of gúð "battle" and kyning "king". 4) Kennings: gold-wine Géata: "golden friend, generous prince of Gaut" (Hréðsigora ne gealp || goldwine Géata [21: stk. 2583-2584]); hringa fengel: "lord of the rings" (Oferhogode fá | hringa fengel [21: stk. 2345]); Wedra helm: "helmet (defender) of the buckets" (forwrát Wedra helm | wyrm on middan [21: stk. 2705]) and others.

The analysis of these names allows us to identify several key aspects of the image of the "hero ruler" in the Anglo-Saxon epic: 1) royal status and power (for example, cyning/kyning, æþeling); 2) protective function (éþel-weard); 3) generosity and patronage (gold-wine Géata, hringa fengel); 4) military leadership (gúð-kyning); 5) general leadership qualities (fréa).

It is important to note that many of the titles applied to Beowulf are also used to characterize other rulers in the epic. Hrothgar, the Danish king [24: p. 635] and Hredel, the king of the Gaut [24: p. 649], are described by a number of additional nominations that enrich the image of the ruler in the Anglo-Saxon epic. These names reflect various aspects of their role as leaders and patrons of their tribes.: 1) simple words: brego: "leader, lord, king" (brego Beorht-Dena, | biddan wille [21: stk. 427]); 2) compound words: beorn-cyning: "king of warriors" (sunu Healfdenes | on mínne sylfes dóm || ðá ic ðé, beorncyning, | bringan wylle [21: ck. 2148]); hilde-wísa: "leader in battle" (fore Healfdenes | hildewísan || gomenwudu gréted [21: stk. 1064]); 3) kennings: béaga bryttan: "ring giver" (frínan wille || béaga bryttan [21: stk. 351-352]); sinces brytta: "treasure giver" (sinces brytta || gamolfeax ond gúðróf [21: stk. 607-608]); eorla hléo: "Defender of the Earls" (Há gít him eorla hléo | hine gesealde [21: stk. 1866]) and others. Unlike Beowulf, whose descriptions often emphasize his physical strength and military prowess, these names of Hrothgar and Hredel create an image of wise and generous rulers whose role is not only military leadership, but also to protect and protect their people. Such a variety of epithets reflects the versatility of the ideal ruler in Anglo-Saxon society.

Among these numerous titles, special attention is drawn to names related to the distribution of treasures and riches that deserve the close attention of researchers, for example: sinces brytta (treasure giver), béaga bryttan (ring shredder), béah-horda wear d (keeper of the treasury of rings) and hord-weard hæleþ (keeper of the treasures of heroes). They contain key information about Anglo-Saxon culture and social structure.

In a cultural and historical context, the relationship between those who give wealth and those who receive it is one of the leading motifs of skald poetry. They praised the generosity of the rulers and the dedication of the warriors who served them for distributing gold, weapons and other valuables. Such awards bound the warriors to their master with indissoluble bonds and imposed on them the duty to remain faithful until death ^[25].

As A.Ya. Gurevich notes, giving in Scandinavian society was not just an act of transferring material assets, but the most important way to establish and maintain social ties. Generosity and hospitality were considered one of the main virtues of noble people, and the distribution of wealth by chieftains and kings served as a means of acquiring prestige, power and influence ^[26].

The concept of "giver of treasures" (sinces brytta, béaga bryttan) reflects the importance of the institution of donation in ancient Germanic society. As A.V. Vishnevsky notes, "treasures served not so much as a symbol of material well-being, as a symbol of courage and an attribute of worthy people" [27: p. 86]. This indicates that material values in Anglo-Saxon society had a deep symbolic meaning that went beyond the simple accumulation of wealth.

The analysis of nominations and titles in the epic "Beowulf" allows us to better understand not only the linguistic features of the Old English language, but also the social structure, values and worldview of Anglo-Saxon society. The wealth of synonyms for warriors and rulers reflects the importance of these roles in the society of the time. Special attention to the names associated with the distribution of treasures highlights the key role of the institution of donation in establishing and maintaining social ties. Thus, the linguistic personality reflected in Beowulf appears to us as the embodiment of the collective consciousness of Anglo-Saxon society, its heroic ideals and social norms. Despite the obscurity of the specific author (or authors) of the epic, this generalized linguistic personality, imprinted in the text, allows us to penetrate into the cultural world of the ancient Anglo-Saxons. This study demonstrates how the analysis of linguistic units can serve as a key to understanding the cultural and social aspects of historical societies, even when individual authorship remains unknown.