Chronicle Female Speech Profile (Based on the Material of "The Tale of Bygone Years") (Article 2)

Abstract

The article deals with the dialogue extracts from The Tale of Bygone Years, in which women act as communicants. As a result of the analysis of these fragments, it is established that the chronicle women enter communication with some social roles that are related to their family (mother, daughter, sister, bride, wife, widow) and – less often – social (sovereign) and spiritual (Christian) life. In this regard, the subjects of the dialogues they participate in are limited (marriage, funerals, commemoration of the dead, caring for the safety of their loved ones and saving their souls, less often – peacemaking, the collection of tribute, transfer of gifts). At the same time, analysis of speech tactics and strategies, as well as of communicative forms, showed that the actual speech of chronicle women does not differ from the speech of chronicle men. The only example of a female speech profile with a number of features that distinguish it from the speech profiles of other characters is the one of Princess Olga, though its unique character is not connected with the speaker’s gender, but with her personality.