On the Special Function of Adverbs in the Structure of an Utterance (the Role of the Secondary Predicate)

The object of the article is the processes of inner speech (in the understanding of L.S. Vygotsky), during which the future utterance is formed. One such process is syntactic structure compression. In particular, of interest are polypropositive utterances in which adverbs play the role of a secondary predicate. Examples from Russian fiction are analyzed (from I. Shmelev to A. Bitov), in which a complicated meaning is hidden behind the syntactic structure of a simple sentence. It is concluded that adverbs with the meaning of physiological or mental sensations, moral assessment, compliance with a cultural norm, etc. are most inclined to the function of a secondary predicate. However, the different word-formation background of such adverb leads to its ambivalence and, in accordance with this, to different interpretations of the proposition behind it. In general, the ability to “pack” a whole proposition into one word makes the adverb a full-fledged participant in the processes of speech activity.

adverb, proposition, polypropositive utterance, secondary predicate