Klementina Vosylytė. „Palyginimų žodynas“

VIOLETA ČERNĖ Institute of the Lithuanian Language Research areas: lexicography, lexicology. Klementina Vosylutė DICTIONARY OF COMPARISONS Vilnius: Lietuvių kalbos institutas, 2014, 619 p. ISBN 978-609-411-110-5 Klementina Vosylutė, laureate of the 2014 Kazimieras Būga Prize, author of the four-volume Kupiškėnai Dictionary, a contributor to and editor of the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language, and editor of numerous dialect dictionaries, has this time prepared a lexicographic work devoted to phraseology. This is the Dictionary of Comparisons (hereafter DC). The main reason for undertaking the preparation of the DC was the availability of new data, since the Dictionary of Lithuanian Comparisons (hereafter DLC) was published almost thirty years ago (Dictionary of Lithuanian Comparisons, compiled by K. B. Vosylutė. Vilnius: Mokslas, 1985). There are not many dictionaries devoted to Lithuanian phraseology. In addition to the DLC already mentioned here, the following may be noted: Jonas Paulauskas’s Dictionary of Lithuanian Phraseology (1977) and Systematic Dictionary of Lithuanian Phraseology (1995), Dictionary of Phraseology (2001), and Jonina Lipskienė’s Figurative Expressions of the Lithuanian Language (2008). K. Vosylutė made her mark in the field of phraseology quite early. In 1973 she defended her dissertation, Comparative Phraseologisms in the Lithuanian Language. Vosylutė also wrote on this subject in Issues in Lithuanian Linguistics (now Acta Linguistica Lithuanica), in MA proceedings, Language Culture, and other publications. Dr. K. Vosylutė once remarked that she began collecting material for this Dictionary—material absent from the DLC—while writing the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language (hereafter DLT). In the DC, comparative phraseologisms are presented according to their grammatical head. It is not easy to determine which word in a comparative expression should be regarded as the principal one. This assumption can be made on the basis of specific examples from the dictionaries being compared. Let us compare: LKPŽ PŽ DECEIVE • deceive like the fox deceived the wolf Could not deceive like the fox deceived the wolf. Kb. Succeeded like the fox deceived the wolf (ironic) TŽV598[A1], PPr 403 [A1]. (p. 25) wolf • like (kap) the fox deceived the wolf Could not deceive like the fox deceived the wolf. Kb. Succeeded like the fox deceived the wolf (ironic) TŽ V 598 (Al), PPr 403 (Al). (p. 568) 228 Acta Linguistica Lithuanica LXX Klementina Vosylýtė. Palyginimų žodynas LKPŽ PŽ BOILED • as I boiled a hut out of ashes Tu tep padarai, kap iš pelenų bużą išviriau (ironic) Lp. (p. 96) boiled • as [someone] boiled a hut out of ashes Tu tep padarai, kap iš pelenų būžą išviriau (ironic) Lp. (p. 152) MURLA • like a mùrla (murlégas) Stout as a murlégas Vžns. All the gentlemen have gorged themselves like murlégai Užp. | A child like a murla Lkm. A lad like a murlėgas Dgl. (p. 167) murlėgas • like a murlégas (mùrla) Stout as a murlégas Vžns. All the gentlemen have gorged themselves like murlėgai Užp. | A lad like a murlėgas Dgl. A child like a murla Lkm. (p. 270) RAISED • as [someone] raised [it] onto the roof Tell them, "Raise [it] onto the roof" — they can't keep a secret (secret) Šts. (p. 188) raise [it] • as [someone] raises [it] onto the roof Tell them, "Raise [it] onto the roof" — they can't keep a secret (secret) Šts. (p. 306) PŽ has been supplemented with lexical components, structural and stress variants, and comparative conjunctions. Let us compare: LKPŽ PŽ NEEDLES • as on needles (p. 19) needles • like (as, how, as if) on (onto, in) needles (p. 1) WILL LIVE • as if [one] would live forever (p. 83) will live • like (as if, as) forever (for ages, for centuries, a hundred years) [one] would live (would be living, lives, lives, would live) (p. 122) DOLL • 1. like [one] doll (p. 145) doll • like (as, how, as if) [one] doll (doll, little doll, little doll, tiny doll) (p. 236) CHEATED • like [someone] who has been cheated (p. 180) soaked • as soaked (soaked [feminine], soaked [masculine]) (p. 293) DOWN • like down (down, down) (p. 219) down • like down (down, little tuft of down, downy) (p. 362) Some variants of the comparison context and meaning, separated in LKPŽ by a vertical bar (|), are treated in PŽ as a new meaning, and so on. For example: LKPŽ PŽ DISHEVELED • like disheveled nimble (agile) like disheveled Skd. | When I got home and slept it off, I was as disheveled Ms. In the morning, if one still had to mow, I would be as disheveled Trkn. | He does the work quickly, as if disheveled Lkš. (p. 94) disheveled • like disheveled 1. nimble (agile) like disheveled Skd. | When I got home and slept it off, I was as disheveled Ms. In the morning, if one still had to mow, I would be as disheveled Trkn. 3. He does the work quickly, as if disheveled Lkš. <...> (p. 146) Recenzijos / Reviews 229 V I O L E T A Č E R N Ė LKPŽ PŽ LIPS • like lips (lip) b) Thick lips like lips Škn. A thick-lipped girl, lips like lips DūnŽ. <> (pp. 102–103) lips • like lips (like) (lips) 2. Thick lips like lips Škn. | A thick-lipped girl, lips like lips DūnŽ 354. <...> (pp. 166–167) The morphological and syntactic features of comparative constructions and illustrative sentences are not transposed into standard Lithuanian in PŽ, while phonetic features are transposed only when irregular. In LKPŽ this was also done inconsistently: LKPŽ PŽ FATTENED • like fattened And I make lots of cheese and butter, and the cows are like fattened (very fat) Lp. The pigs are like fattened Lp. The horse is like fattened—you could sharpen scissors on its back Vlk. (p. 29) fattened • like fattened And I made lots of cheese and butter, and the cows are like fattened (fat) Lp. The pigs are like fattened Lp. The horse is like fattened—you could sharpen scissors on its back Vlk. (p. 18) DRIEKŲ • like a dog’s driekos You need those glasses like a dog needs driekos (tow) (ironic) Šts. (p. 62) driekų • like a dog’s driekos You need those glasses like a dog needs driekos (tow) (ironic) Šts. (p. 82) DURLA • like a piercing gaze Veiza – like a piercing gaze (intently, with eyes fixed) Šts. (p. 65) dura • like a piercing gaze Veiza – like a piercing gaze (staring intently, eyes fixed) Šts. (p. 87) PLUCKED • as if plucked The grain sheaf (the thick end of a sheaf of grain) must be even, as if plucked DūnŽ. (p. 178) plucked • as if plucked The grain sheaf (the thick end of a sheaf of grain) must be even, as if plucked DūnŽ 241. (p. 291) GOAT • 20. and like a goat when its tail is broken The captured fox began to howl (scream) like a goat whose tail is being broken PP39. (pp. 182–183) goat • like a goat whose tail is being broken The captured fox began to howl (scream) like a goat whose tail is being broken PP 39. (pp. 298–300) FENCE RAIL • as high as a fence rail Tall as a fence rail (a rail of a barrel fence) Ggr. (p. 205) fence rail • as high as a fence rail Tall as a fence rail (a rail of a barrel fence) Ggr. (p. 317) Abbreviated forms of the PŽ are not negated; where necessary, they are supplemented with illustrative sentences in square brackets. For example: LKPŽ PŽ IN A PUDDLE • as in a puddle I live as if in a puddle (with difficulty, poorly) KrvP[Mc]. (p. 39) in a puddle • as in a puddle I live as if in a puddle (poorly, with difficulty) KrvP (Mrc.). (p. 39) HERD • like a wolf herding sheep He is grinding poppy seeds like a wolf herding sheep (it cannot be allowed) Pc. (p. 74) herd • like a wolf herding sheep He is grinding poppy seeds like a wolf herding sheep (it cannot be allowed) Pc. (p. 107) 230 A c t a L i n g u i s t i c a L i t h u a n i c a L X X Klementina Vosylýtė. Palyginimų žodynas LKPŽ PŽ KUMELLUPIS • like a kumėllupis in the barn Smells like a kumellupis in the barn (ironic) Gršl. (p. 138) kumellupis • like a kuméllupis in the barn Smells like a kuméllupis in the barn (ironic) Gršl. (p. 224) SOAP • 3. like soap for a dog It suited (suited, was just right) like soap for a dog (ironic) Jrk122. (p. 166) soap • like soap for a dog It suited (suited, was just right) like soap for a dog (ironic) Jrk 122. (pp. 268–269) The presentation of phraseological synonyms in PŽ has changed considerably. Let us compare: LKPŽ PŽ PLASTERED • as if (like) shaped (or crudely made) out of clay a) An ugly person: a nose as if moulded from clay Slm. b) Big, stout, fat: Vidmantas seemed to Šešiavilkis as if he had been moulded from clay Vaižg. c) The horses were splendid (good, handsome)—as if moulded from clay Šts. And the horses were good, as if moulded from clay—they could not stand still Dkk. | There were horses, to put it plainly, as if moulded from clay rš. (p. 62) plastered • as if moulded from clay And the horses were good, as if moulded from clay—they could not stand still Dkk. (p. 82) crudely made • as if (like, as though) [out of] clay-moulded 1. An ugly person: a nose as if moulded from clay Slm. 2. Big, stout, fat: Vidmantas seemed to Šešiavilkis as if moulded from clay Vaižg. 3. The horses were splendid—as if moulded from clay Šts. | There were horses, to put it plainly, as if moulded from clay rš. (p. 286) DIED • 1. as if (just as) one’s mother (parents, father) had died She cries as if her mother had died (bitterly) Trgn. She screams as if her mother had died Kltn. He wails (cries) as if his father had died Skdv. Why are you grieving here as if your mother had just died?! Trgn. (p. 164) died • as if one’s mother had died She cries as if her mother had died (bitterly) Trgn. She screams as if her mother had died Kltn, as if one’s father had died 1. He wails (cries) as if his father had died Skdv. <...> (p. 266) died • as if one’s mother had just died Why are you grieving here as if your mother had just died?! Trgn. (p. 290) IN THE FOREST • as (if) in the forest (through the forest) He shouts as if in the forest (loudly), not noticing that people are asleep Jnš. Why are you shouting like that, as if you were in the forest?! Ldk. He shouts as if roaming through the forest Kri. (p. 165) through the forest • as (like) through the forest He shouts as (like; Sln) through the forest Kri. (p. 266) in the forest • as in the forest He shouts as if in the forest, not noticing that people are asleep Jnš. (p. 266) WOKE UP • as if waking (waking up) from sleep Now he saw the naked truth, as if waking from sleep (coming to his senses, recovering his wits) Žem. The father woke as if from sleep, and the children rejoiced; their little eyes even lit up Žem. (pp. 184–185) woke up • as if waking from sleep The father woke as if from sleep, and the children rejoiced; their little eyes even lit up Žem. (p. 301) awoke • as if waking up from sleep Now he saw the naked truth, as if waking up from sleep (coming to his senses) Žem. (p. 352) Recenzijos / Reviews 231 VIOLETA ČERNĖ In PŽ, the treatment of comparative expressions containing diminutives has changed. LKPŽ handled them inconsistently, often omitting the diminutive as a lexical component. For example: LKPŽ | PŽAUKŠLYS • like an aukšlys Dabar sūjonas is narrow as an aukšlelis Šts. (p. 34)aukšlelis • like an aukšlelis Dabar sūjonas is narrow as an aukšlelis Šts. (p. 29)LIEPA • 3. like a blooming lime tree Beautiful as a blooming little lime tree KrvP[Mrc]. (p. 147)liepelė • like a blooming little lime tree Beautiful as a blooming little lime tree KrvP (Mrc). (p. 239)׎AKAS • 1. like a bean sack I am a little child, like a little bean sack (sack), tied by the fence, and nibbled by goats TDrVIII146 [Kin]. (p. 334)מakelis • like a little bean sack I am a little child, like a little bean sack (sack), tied by the fence, and nibbled by goats TDr VII 146 (Kin). (p. 590) In PŽ, the meaning of a comparative phraseological unit is explained only when it cannot be inferred from the illustrative sentences, for example: Et, you talk like balzgaty nė (a lot, nonsense) Plv. (see balzgaty nė (p. 40)); Runs like a bėgūnėlis (very fast) Pnd. (see bėgūnėlis (p. 44)); The mood falls—like nettles sweep over the heart (it hurts) rš. (see dilgynė (p. 80)); I need arielka like a rooster (very little—it gets you drunk quickly) Aps. (see gaidžiui (p. 104)); Walks like a grāmas (carelessly) Rtn, Lp, Lš. (see gramas (p. 124)). There is, however, a great deal of explained vocabulary. In some cases, the key word in the comparative phrase is explicated, for example: Why are you standing around here like a busilas (a stork)?! Ds. (see ×busilas (p. 62)); The bread has gone hard like čāplius (hard clay) Ds. (see caplius (p. 64)); Frowning like a čėmpė (a knitted slipper) Krsn. (see čempė (p. 66)); They’ll let you go barefoot like a čiučiū (a puppy) rš. (see čiūčius (p. 69)); Ir tu šokai su liežuviu kai čižikas (toks paukštis) iš pašterblio (palėpės) Prng. (žr. čižikas (p. 69)); Well, your girl here is ugly and badly chosen: tall herself, thin-bottomed, her shoulders set apart—like a stulgė (some long, thin object with a thick end) Prng. (see stulgė (p. 422)). When necessary, the meaning of the key word in the comparison—and thus of the entire comparison—is explained in the illustrative sentences. For example: Made like a piglet (a pig, a piglet, i.e. unattractively) Snt. (see čiūkas (p. 69)); A mouth like a juška (a kind of oven tool, i.e. large, wide) LPP II 536 (Graž.) (see ×juška (p. 161)); Potatoes like a lūža (a dense tangle of trees or grain, i.e. large), as much as will be needed to dig Ds. (see lūža (p. 243)). 232 Acta Linguistica Lithuanica LXX Klementina Vosylýtė. Palyginimų žodynas There is a tendency to explain (although this is done inconsistently) words in illustrative sentences that are used less frequently as well. For example: Shmūžina (moves slowly) like a bear among the skylark’s (lark’s) eggs Brs. (see meška (p. 261)); I dvalakuo[j]a (walks swinging his arms) like a dvėlekis (a frivolous person) Grg. (see dvelekis (p. 91)); Women just keep amaliuoti (chatting), tongues like pančėkos (stockings, i.e. long) DūnŽ 25. (see ×pančeka (p. 311)) and so on. It is not so easy to explain a comparison or a word in its context. This table shows various changes in the explanations in dictionaries of comparisons: LKPŽ PŽ CARVED • as if carved This heifer: thighs (thighs) when carved (beautiful) Jrb. (p. 92) carved • as (when) carved This heifer: thighs (thighs) when carved (slender) Jrb. <...> (p. 144) BAKED • like (as if) being baked a) Why are you fidgeting (turning around) like something being baked! Alk. <...> (p. 115) baked • like (as, as if) being baked 1. Why are you fidgeting (can’t keep still, twisting and turning, wriggling) like something being baked?! Alk. <...> (p. 188) PARPELIS • like a párpelis Oh, you little cat, warm as a parpelis (dumpling) Ds. (p. 193) parpelis • like a párpelis Oh, you little cat, warm as a párpelis (dumpling) Ds. (p. 315) Not only the explanations changed, but also the approach to deciding which word or comparison needed explaining and which did not. Here is a small group of comparisons whose meanings, illustrative words, etc. were left unexplained in LKPŽ. For example: LKPŽ PŽ GAURYS • like a shaggy fellow He’s always chattering like some shaggy fellow Vrb. (p. 75) 2 gaurys • like a shaggy fellow He’s always chattering like some shaggy fellow (empty-headed person) Vrb. (p. 108) ×GAURONAS • like a shaggy fellow Why are you yelling like a shaggy fellow?! Al. (p. 75) ×gauronas • like a shaggy fellow Why are you yelling like a shaggy fellow (raven)?! Al. (p. 108) COW • 5. like a [pregnant] cow on ice f) I’ll risk it like a pregnant cow on ice Pls. (p. 106) cow • like (as, kap, like) a [pregnant] cow on ice 6. I’ll risk it like a pregnant cow on ice (with little hope of winning) Pls. (pp. 172–175) JAY • 1. like a jay (jaybird, kiokštas) <...> They are scattered about like kiokštas, that is, not bruised, firm J. (p. 114) jay • like (as, just like, kap) a jay (jaybird, kiokštas, kiõkštas) 4. They are scattered about like kiõkštas, that is, not bruised, firm (slender) J. (p. 186) LYDIMAS • like lydimas Lying down like lydimas Švnč. <...> (p. 147) lydimas • like (kap) lydìmas Lying down like lydimas (branches of felled trees laid out in a clearing) Švnč. <...> (p. 239) Recenzijos / Reviews 233 V I O L E T A Č E R N Ė LKPŽ PŽ LIUNGETŲ • like on liungetai Sits restlessly as if on liungetai, constantly fidgeting Tvr. (p. 148) liungetų • like on liungėtai Sits restlessly as if on liungėtai (on a swing) – constantly fidgeting Tvr. (p. 241) The reverse process also occurred: it was decided not to explicate in the PŽ the meaning of a dialect word used in a comparison or an illustrative example. Whether this is appropriate, it seems, is for readers of the Dictionary to decide; for example: LKPŽ PŽ IŠDĖTAI • as if laid out From here, our whole life can be seen as if laid out (clearly, well) Užv. (p. 92) išdėtai • as if laid out From here, our whole life can be seen as if laid out Užv. (p. 144) IŠDYKĖLIS • like a mischievous child among guests Behaves like a mischievous child among guests (rudely) KruP[Ar]. (p. 92) išdykėlis • like a mischievous child among guests Behaves like a mischievous child among guests (rudely) KrvP (Ar). (p. 144) KEPĖSTAS • like kepėstas A person who shuffles (with hands and feet) like kepėstas Ds. (p. 116) kepėstas • like kepėstas A person who shuffles like kepėstas Ds. (p. 188) ×KYLA • 1. like kyla before rain Buzzes like kyla before rain (a lot, persistently) Ukm. (p. 123) ×kyla • like kyla before rain Buzzes like kyla before rain Ukm. (p. 199) KIPŠAS • 1. like a devil a) He keeps company with the gentry, while the poor (those without means) are like devils LzP. (p. 123) kipšas • like a devil 1. He keeps company with the gentry, while the poor are like devils LzP. (pp. 199–200) MAIVA • like a maiva Why are you showing off here, like some show-off! showing off Vkš. (p. 152) maiva • like máiva Why are you putting on airs like some máiva?! Vkš. (p. 246) NEMUNĖS • like nemūnės pūode Ple-pa kap nemunės puode (a lot, nonsense) Ml. (p. 172) nemunės • like nēmūnės pūode Plepa kap nemunės puode Ml. (p. 280) GOAT • 21. like a goat at a snake’s den It curled up like a goat at a snake’s den (out of place) Grk. (pp. 181–182) goat • like a goat at a snake’s den It curled up like a goat at a snake’s den Grk. (pp. 296–298) The dictionary’s illustrative sentences are pearls among pearls. For example: That little apple tree is covered with blossoms like wax (full of flowers) KžRŽ II 465. (see apkreštas (p. 15)); It blossomed, as if smeared with milk (all white) the tree was—beautiful DrskŽ 190. (see sulétas (p. 428)); She played the accordion, twisting it like warm wool rš. (see vilną (p. 569)); A little moonlight shines on the crown of the head, while the temples are white as frost rš. (see šerkšnas (p. 443)); The little horses are fat and round as plums, heads held high, trotting full-steam through the harrowed field Žem. (see slyva (p. 407)); 234 Acta Linguistica Lithuanica LXX Klementina Vosylītė. Palyginimų žodynas Cherries are black as beetles Skr. (see vabalas (p. 518)); Neither slips on the ice nor stumbles in speech—speaks as smoothly as a washerwoman washes Bdr. (see skalba (p. 398)); I’ll crow out one more [song], like a hen before the end Srj. (see višta (p. 577)); Whatever comes to mind, he pipes out such tunes that you can only listen in amazement—it flows as sweetly as the finest goat’s rue (beautifully)! Škn. (see ožragio (p. 300)); Long ago, you know, they used to dance: the girls moved like spinning wheels Trgn. (see verpstė (p. 552)); Those two were lying so snugly together, like cloves of garlic (huddled close) J. (see skiltys (p. 402)); And winter, it seems, was already like a boil swollen to bursting, then it burst J. Aist. (see votis (p. 584)); Age wrinkled his face, harrowing it as if with a harrow KrvP (Nmn). (see suakėjo (p. 424)); Be as pliable as a cat’s tail; don’t begrudge the lady director a little tip in her hand, or whatever else her faded little heart desires—and you’ll rise like yeast A. Gric. (see uodega (p. 505)); Writers’ words bounce off our hearts like peas off a wall Žem. (see žirniai (p. 608)), and so on. There are only a few unillustrated similes, for example: popped out like an owl from hemp (see popped out (p. 149)); as if seized by diarrhea (see seized (p. 305)); as if beating water with a winnowing basket (see beats (p. 347)); as if a woodlouse in a furrow (see woodlouse in a furrow (p. 406)); as if pecked clean by birds (see pecked clean (p. 428)). One would like to praise the book’s restrained, tasteful appearance and the work of the artist Rokas Gelažius. The dictionary’s cover emerges as if from the fog. Or perhaps it lies shrouded in fog. Part of the letter P recalls a column’s shaft; that column evokes associations with the main word under which the similes are arranged. Compare, juxtapose, and compare again the nuanced colors and shades of the letters P and Ž—as well as the things and objects being juxtaposed. Received on June 11, 2014. VIOLETA ČERNĖ Institute of the Lithuanian Language 5 Petro Vileišio St., LT-10308 Vilnius, Lithuania [email protected] Recenzijos / Reviews 235