ON THE PECULIARITIES OF THE INTONATION AND SOUND SYSTEM OF THE MODERN ORTHODOX NON-TEMPLE SERMON


2023. № 4 (38), 196-205

Russian State University for the Humanities
MSU-PPI

Abstract:

The article discusses the specifi cs of prosodic organization of modern Orthodox non-temple preaching. The article utilizes the sermons posted on YouTube channel “The Priest Will Answer” as study material. It is established that the consistent reproduction of individual prosodic markers of modern pastoral speech, such as modern orthoepic norms and principles of proportionality and symmetry in the division of the speech stream, is combined with a reduction in the volume of archaic phonetic elements in nontemplesermons. The reasons for such reduction are the following: lack of demand for such main intonation centre marker as duration, the decrease in the frequency of its use in the formation of the optional centers, the rejection in the reproduction of pronouncing properties, dating back to the traditions of Church Slavonic pronunciation, the reduction of the number of two- and multi-vertex intonation constructions and frame accent structures. Another prominent feature is a redistribution of the frequency the main intonation types. The paper reveals a change in the stylistic dominant of the sermon, which is associated with the translation of the sound of the pastor’s speech from a high register to a neutral one, the leveling of a solemnly elevated tone and the emergence of such stylistically signifi cant components as polemic, irony, strengthening of the persuasive nature of speech, reduction and colloquialism.