On Derivational Variability in the Russian Religious Style of the 18th Century (Exemplified by Religious Nouns Ending in -ost’)

Abstract

This study deals with the history of the formation of the derivational norm in the Russian religious style dating back to the 18th century. The article dwells on the derivational parallels of religious nouns with the suffx -stv/o/, which were recorded in the 18th-century secular lexicographic works, providing a comprehensive description of religious words: The Church Dictionary (1773–1794) by Archpriest Pyotr Alekseyev, A Concise Slavic Dictionary (1784) by Hegumen Yevgeny (Romanov) and A Dictionary of the Russian Academy (1789–1794). On the basis of morphemic and word-building methods, the paper describes the relative rows of religionyms ending in -ost’ with derivatives ending in -stvo, -stviye, -niy,-yeniy, -ie, -ota, and -ynya. Within the framework of these variant forms and using the historical and etymological analysis, the author revealed 18th-century neologisms. It is noted here that, as a result of a competition between the derivational forms their semantics becomes differentiated. At the same time, derivatives ending in -ost’ begin to oust from the usage in the 18th century the parallel forms with abstract meaning, thereby reserving this meaning for themselves. It is shown here that in spite of the strong competition caused by the presence of synonymous derivational forms, religious nouns ending in -ost’ carved out their own niche in the lexicographic system of 18th-century Russia, forming a special layer of abstract confessional vocabulary, which is confrmed by the very fact of their extensive codifcation in the lexicographic works under study.