The Intertextual Potential of the “Humpty Dumpty” Reference Text as Implemented in English Texts of Various Functional Styles

Abstract

The article focuses on the construction and intertextual functioning of the “Humpty Dumpty” reference text which is an important constituent of the linguistic and cultural competence of a native speaker of English. The “Humpty Dumpty” reference text is formed on the basis of a range of multi-modal sources. Its basic aspect of reference is the eponymous reference character, which is verbalized during the intertextual interaction construed as a specific case of blending. The “Humpty Dumpty” reference text is quoted in recipient texts of various functional styles and subject matters due to the fact that it can implement one of the basic orientational metaphors of Western civilization: “DOWN is SICKNESS, DEATH, DEPRAVITY.” During the intertextual integration of the “Humpty Dumpty” reference text into the recipient texts of various types, its rudimentary verbal structures undergo lexical, grammatical, stylistic and pragmatic transformations. Lexical-grammatical transformations partially depend on the relevant structures of the recipient text which accommodates the intertextual reference. Such transformations can include compression (omission), substitution of specific lexical units, inversion, alterations of tense, aspect and voice forms of the quoted lexical-grammatical structures. Such transformations directly depend on pragmatic transformations of the reference text, with travesty being the most common one. It is implemented when an intertext is integrated into a recipient text of a marginal status.