Akademikas Jurijus Stepanovas ir lietuvių kalba

ACTA LINGUISTICA LITHUANICA XLVI (2002),223-248 PERSONALIA AKADEMIKAS YURIJUS STEPANOVAS IR LIETUVIŠKA KALBA Yuri Stepanov, a full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, professor, doctor of sciences, whose list of scientific works includes both large-scale books and shorter articles on general linguistics, semiotics, culture and Indo-European studies, Romance studies and Baltic studies, is one of the most prominent representatives of the Moscow (or rather Russian) linguistic school of our time. He is well acquainted with the traditions of the founders of this school — famous Russian philologists — established in the 19th and 20th centuries, and he has been fruitfully developing and updating them for several decades, not excluding the tradition, which is especially dear to us — since the time of Philip Fortunatov until now unbroken, to devote his research space to the local and Lithuanian language. The very diverse interests of Stepanov as a scientist formed his theoretical system of views, which, based on specific observations of the structure and functioning of language, is based on “filiation (inheritance) of ideas” and “metamorphism of ideas”. The direction of “new realism” in the philosophy of language, which has acquired clear contours in Russia relatively recently, is closely linked to the name of its founder, Y. Stepanov. Yuri Stepanov was born on July 20, 1930 in Moscow. While studying Romance philology (Spanish language and literature) at the Moscow University, he studied French, English and German, as well as classical languages — Latin, Ancient Greek and Sanskrit. From 1953 to 1956 he prepared a doctoral dissertation on the syntax of the old French and Spanish languages of the 20th century. In 1957-1958, he studied in Paris, where he attended courses in structural analysis and Latin prepositions under E. J. Benveniste, and the École supérieure des traducteurs at the Sorbonne. He also attended the Basque language course of A. Martinet and the seminar on modern poetry of the literary scholar Castex at the Sorbonne. After returning to the USSR, he worked as a lecturer and translator in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1961 he was appointed head of the Department of French Language at the Moscow University, and a year later he became head of the Department of General and Comparative Historical Linguistics. He defended his habilitation thesis in 1966 on the basis of his first two books — French stylistics and French language structure (Stepanov 1965a, 1965b). The name of the professor was given to him 1968 m. In 1971, Stepanov moved to work at the Russian MA Calculus Institute. Initially, he worked as a senior research associate in the Department of General Linguistics of this institute, and since 1989 he has been the head of the Department of Theoretical Linguistics. In 1984 he was elected a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in 1990 — full member. Since 1999, Stepanov has been a member of the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the History of World Culture. He has also been or is still a member of the editorial boards of various important scientific publications, the deputy editor-in- -chief of the journal Voprosy jazykoznaniya (1988-1994), Izvestiya AN SSSR. Serija jazyka i literatúry editorial board 224 | PERSONALIA its member (1973-1987- ). He has presented at many important international congresses and symposia on linguistics and semiotics, as a visiting professor he has visited universities in Denmark, Spain, USA, Cuba, France and other countries. He has also lectured in Lithuania — at Vilnius University and the Lithuanian Language Institute. As the 70th anniversary of Stepanov's birth was approaching, in 1999 a monograph was dedicated to him as the pioneer of the "new realism" movement in the philosophy of language: Philosophia jazyka: v granicach i vne granic 3/4. Tom posvjaščen... akad. Yu. S. Stepanov, Kharkov: Oko. The Russian Academy of Sciences also honored his academician with a detailed biographical bibliographical publication Jurij Sergeevich Stepanov (Logunov 2000), which, in addition to chronological and alphabetical scientific works and other indexes, prints a contentious and analytical outline of his scientific activity prepared by E. Kubriakova. An impressive 600-page collection of articles Language and Culture: Facts and Values (Kubrjakova, Janko 2001), compiled by the Department of Language and Literature of the Russian MA, is dedicated to the same anniversary. The 47 articles published in the five chapters of this book are arranged in the following order: comparative Indo-European historical linguistics (9), semiotics, philosophy of language, philosophy (12), theoretical linguistics (11), Lithuanian language (6), culture and art (9). The fourth chapter dedicated to Lithuanian language begins with an article by V. Rodionov “Lithuanian language in the school of academician J. Stepanov”, followed by Z. Zinkevičius’ “When and how appeared the first Christian poets in Lithuanian language- ”, V. Vitkauskas’ “On the change of common genus forms in Žemaičių dialects”, while other articles compare the phonetic systems of Lithuanian and Russian languages (K. Garšva), discuss the status of pronouns in the grammatical system of language (A. Paulauskienė), prose universality and laws of Baltic and Slavic languages (O. Poliakovas). The aforementioned biographical bibliography of Stepanov (Logunov 2000) records 238 different works published between 1956 and 1999 — monographs, articles, reviews of scientific papers, theses of papers read at scientific conferences and congresses, compiled or edited books and collections of articles, for which he has written extensive, often equivalent to a separate study, introductions or detailed commentaries. Among them, the books General Linguistics, Dictionary of Indo-European Social Terms and Semiotics (Moscow, 1983), published in 1974 and 1995 by his former teacher, the renowned French linguist E. Benveniste, and the collection of articles Semiotics (Moscow, 1983), which published part of Algirdas J. Greimas and J. Courte's explanatory dictionary of language theory. This bibliography lists more than fifty reviews of Stepanov’s own works or comments on them in prestigious scientific journals of Russia and other countries. J. Stepanov began his independent scientific activity more than forty years ago as a researcher of the syntax of the ancient Romance languages, but from the very beginning his desire to integrate any specific subject of his research into a certain broader system was evident, so the description of specific linguistic phenomena in his works coincided naturally and closely with the generalization of the principles and methods of language research (Kubrjakova, Janko 2001: 18). In addition to the first books dedicated to the French language (Stepanov 1965a, 1965b), the directions of specific research are represented by many of the most relevant articles and series of articles by J. Stepanov dealing with Indo-European studies and specific problems of grammar, accentology and etymology of Romance, Baltic, Slavic languages, for example, “Theory of Russian syllable texts in descriptive and comparative historical linguistics” (1988), “Numbering, names of numbers, alphabetic number signs in Indo-European languages” (1989 a), “Baba-Yaga, Yama, Janus, Jason and others: On the “soft” comparative historical method” (1995), “Non-paradigmatic Indo-European dialect transfer: (1. Undoubtedly the peak of this direction of work PERSONALIA | 225 The most widely read monograph Indo-European sentence (Stepanov 1989). She has been reviewed in the Moscow journals Voprosy jazykoznaniya and Izvestiya AN SSSR, in the Paris journal Bulletin de la Société de Linguistique de Paris and in the music journal Baltistica. Ambrazas rated this monograph as “a new stage in the study of the historical syntax of the Baltic and other Indo-European languages” (Ambrazas 1994: 112). Methodology of language research, problems of semiotics and philosophy of language, the interrelationships between language and culture are discussed in general theoretical nature books of J. Stepanov Semiotics (Stepanov 1971; translated into Japanese, Hungarian and Bulgarian languages- ), Methods and Principles of Contemporary Linguistics (Stepanov 1975a), Nouns. Predicate. Sentences: Semiological grammar (Stepanov 1981), In the three-dimensional space of language: Problems of semiotic linguistics, philosophy, art (Stepanov 1985), Constants of world culture: Alphabets and alphabetic texts in the period of dualism (Stepanov, Proskurin, 1993), Constants: Dictionary of Russian culture: An attempt at investigation (Stepanov 1997), Language and method: On contemporary philosophy of language (Stepanov 1998). Several generations of students of higher education institutions in the former Soviet Union (including Vilnius University) studied from Stepanov- ’s textbooks Basics of Linguistics (1966) and Basics of General Linguistics (1975b), which, by the way, was translated into Vietnamese a couple of years after its publication. Ten years of intensive work at Moscow University (1961—1971) revealed and matured Stepanov’s pedagogical talent. The expressive lectures of the beloved professor in the course of general linguistics attracted a large audience of students and aspirants (doctoral students) of that time. Some attended this course several times, because every year new information appeared in his lectures and another topical theoretical or methodological problem was raised, requiring a critical evaluation of its solutions. In the department he headed, J. Stepanov established and supervised a new specialization “Typology of Linguistic Systems”, which also included Lithuanian language in its program. The freely chosen course was taught by the professor himself in alternation with his Lithuanian aspirants. There was no shortage of people who wanted to learn Lithuanian. Lithuanian language was never a matter of temporary fascination or fashion for J. Stepanov. He decided to learn it in 1962 after his first visit to Vilnius and Seredžiaus. Having a keen hearing, he learned Lithuanian perfectly during several summers spent in various places in Lithuania. It is possible that the “domesticated” archaic Lithuanian language in its own way encouraged the deepening of the language’s history and the less studied discussed problems of Indo-European and Baltic studies. The accentual structure of the word, the processes of the formation of the verb system and the historical syntax are the areas of specific comparative historical research in which Stepanov has perhaps presented the most new, unexpected, logically justified hypotheses and argumented interpretations, consistently based on a systematic approach to language and clearly defined theoretical and methodological principles. Lithuanian language, learned not by a young romantic lover of languages, but by a mature scholar, did not remain for J. Stepanov merely a traditional auxiliary instrument of historical Indo-European research. By presenting and interpreting many of its facts in his theoretical books, he included the “small” Lithuanian language on an equal footing with the “large” ones in a much broader context of linguistics (as an example, the hypothesis set out in the book “Methods and Principles of Contemporary Linguistics” about the formation of the opposition of transitive and intransitive verbs in Baltic languages can be cited). J. Stepanov wrote about 20 articles and series of articles dedicated to “pure” Lithuanian studies. Some of them have been published in Baltistica, some in Moscow journals of linguistics. 226 | PERSONALIA Voprosy jazykoznanija, Izvestiya AN SSSR and others. Among Stepanov’s Baltic works, a series of articles on the history of the Baltic (and Slavic) verb categories of action, transitiveness and kind, published in the journal Izvestiya AN SSSR in 1976-1978, and a separate book published in the collection of papers read by Russian linguists at the VIII International Congress of Slavists in Zagreb, Slavic Linguistics (1978), are particularly important. Summarizing the diachronic development of the oppositions of transitive and intransitive verbs in the Baltic languages and the Slavic course and event adjectives, J. Stepanov concludes in his monograph The Indo-European sentence that the Slavic course and event adjectives and the Baltic transitive and intransitive verbs are historically related — evolved from a common original prototype (antagonism of activity and inaction), but in the Baltic languages the action tends to be treated from the point of view of object and subject, and in the Slavic — from the point of view of the limitation and unlimitation of action. J. Stepanov has been interested in the history of Lithuanian (and Baltic) verbs since the very beginning of his studies of the Lithuanian language — his first published Lithuanianist article was an attempt to explain the origin of the 3rd-century form is in his own way (Stepanov 1970). The interpretation presented in this article has been subsequently extensively justified in other publications (Stepanov 1985b, 1989a: 225-233). Not only with the Lithuanian language, but also with Lithuania and Lithuanian linguists and people of culture J. Stepanov is linked by old and constant cordial ties. He has spent several months of his holidays in Lithuania, is well acquainted with Lithuanian theatre and has many friends, like-minded people and students here. A particularly close professional and personal friendship linked him with Professor Jonas Kazlauskas, whose tragic death in the autumn of 1970 J. Stepanov experienced very painfully. Apparently, it can be said that it was through this friendship between two peers and friends that J. Stepanov’s strong ties with Lithuanian linguistics were established, since in the 1950s J. Kazlauskas was one of the main organizers of the Baltistica magazine and of the international Baltistica conferences, which were then called all-Union conferences. J. Stepanovas began to write Baltistics, from the very beginning he participated in almost all Baltist conferences in Vilnius and Riga, was the official opponent of four habilitation doctoral theses defended at Vilnius University in 1967-1984 (J. Kazlauskas, K. Musteikis, A. Paulauskienė, A. Rosinas) and the scientific supervisor of six doctoral theses prepared and defended in Moscow in 1972-1985 by Lithuanian linguists (R. Venckutė, K. Garšva, S. Krinickaitė, G. Naktinienė, S. Valentas, O. Poliakov). Since the beautiful summer of 1962, spent on the banks of the Nemunas River in Seredžius, when Lithuanian language first entered the linguistic horizon of the young linguist, it has remained established to this day in the research space of this extremely hard-working scientist by the grace of God and occupies not the last place in it. This year marks four decades since J. Stepanov became a sincere and faithful friend of the Lithuanian language, and his attractive personality radiating exceptional erudition is a great moral authority, an unforgettable teacher and a compelling example of a scholarly philologist for all Lithuanian scholars who know him not only from books. LITERATURE AMBRAZAS, V. 1994: (rec.) C. Crenanos, HunoeBponeiickoe mpejmproxenne. Mocksa: Hayka, 1989. Baltistica 28 (1), 108-112. KUBRJAKOVA, E. S., JANKO, T. E., red. 2001: fl351x u kynomypa: ®axmor u yewwocmu: K 70-netuio Opus Cepreesnua CrenanoBa, Mocksa: SI3bIKH CNaBAHCKOH KYJIbTYDbI. LoGunov, A. A., ed. 2000: /Opuū Cepzeesun Cmenanos. Poccuiickas Akanemus Hayk. Marepuansi K 6uobubnuorpaduu yuensix. Cepus nuteparypsi H sseika, 26. Cocrasurens P. H. Topsiuea, Mocksa: Hey, hey, hey. STEPANOV, Ju. 1965. pp. 105. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z. PERSONALIA |227 STEPANOV, Ju. S. 1965b: Cmpykmypa (Gidpanyysckozo asvixa: Mopibonozua, croeoobpazosanue, 0CHO68b! CuKmaKCuca 6 Hopme (dpanyyzekoū penyu, MockrBa: Beicinas mkona. STEPANOV, Ju. S. 1966: Kanua, Mocksa: IlpocBentenne. STEPANOV, Ju. S. 1970: JlutoBckoe is — 3 the nine marron ‘Osrrs’. Baltistica 6 (2), 193-196. STEPANOV, Ju. S. 1971: Cewuomuxa, Mocksa: Hayka. STEPANOV, Ju. S. 1975a: Memodsht u npunyunsi cospemennoti aunzeucxux, MockBa: Hey, hey, hey. STEPANOV, Ju. S. 1975b: Overview of a3bixoznanus, Mocksa: IlpocBemenmne. STEPANOV, Ju. S. 1981: Huena. Ilpeduxamw:. Ilpednoncenua: Cemuonozuveckan spammamuxa, Mocxsa: Hayka. STEPANOV, Ju. S. 1985a: B mpexwepnow npocmpancmee azvika: Cemuomuyueckue npobh1eMbi Aun2eucmuxu, gurocogpuu, uckyccmea, Mocksa: Hayka. STEPANOV, Ju. S. 1985b: Jlut. Yes, sir. (ox) ecms u (K Bonpocy o npowcxoxkaennn). Baltistica 21 (1), 4-13. STEPANOV, JU. S. 1988: TekcToBas Teopus pycCKHMX Majexeil B ONHCATEJIbHOM H CPAaBHHUTEIBHO-HCTOPHYECKOM A3bIKO3HAHUH. Pycucmuxa ce2oons. Asvik: cucmema ghynkyuonuposanue, u ee Mocksa: Hayka. STEPANOV, Ju. S. 1989a: Hudoespaneiickoe npedaroxcenue, Mocksa: Hayka. STEPANOV, Ju. S. 1989b: Cuer, umena umcen, andaBuTHble 3HaKH YHCEN B HHIOEBPOIEHCKHX A3BIKAX. Bonpocbi azeikosnanus 4, 46-72; 5, 5-31. STEPANOV, JU. S. 1995: Baba-Aea, Sima, SAnyc, Acorn u apyrue: K Bompocy o „HecTporoM“ cpaBHHTEJIbHO-HCTOPHYECKOM MeTone. BonpocChi azvikosnanus 5, 3-15. STEPANOV, Ju. S. 1997a: Koucmanmei: Crosaps pycckoui kyismypsi: Onsim uccaredosanus, Mocksa: SI3bIKH PYCCKO# KYJIBTYDpbiI. STEPANOV, JU. S. 1997b: I'm not sure what to do. B HHI0eBPOIEHCKOM: (1. Bokpyr 3akonos Bakkepuarens H Jleckuna). Bonpochi azsikosnanusn 4, 5-26. STEPANOV, Ju. S. 1998: flso:xx u memood: K cospemennoii urocogpuu azwixa, Mocksa: SI3bik's boys KYJIbTYDpbI. STEPANOV, Ju. S., PROSKURIN, S. G. 1993: Koncmanmsi mupoeoii kynomypo:: Aapasumer u anghaeumHnbie meKCcmbi 6 nepuod osoesepusi, Mocksa: Hayka. Regina Venckutė Kazimieras Garšva Olegas Poliakovas RUSSIAN BULGARISTIKA IR LITHUANIA Su Lithuania is associated with du prominent Russian scholars, Bulgarian language ir culture specialists: iš Hungarian-born pioneer of Russian Bulgarian studies Jurijus Venelin (birth — Georgis Hucas) ir iš Lithuania from One of the greatest of these days Moscow Bulgarians Prof. Gregory Venediktovas. For Lithuanian linguists G. Venediktov has long been known iš jo publikacijų „K istorii lituanistiki v Rossii", specifically about the linguist Jono Juška's Lithuanian material, ir correspondence that survived from the jį Russian linguist who was his patron I. Sreznevski- 's archives. Be of this, he only ne actively communicates su The Lithuanians of Moscow are the promoters of Lithuanian ir culture, Baltists, but maintain close relations with su Lithuanian linguists, send their works of other valuable ir literature. Kalbininko