PHONETIC INFORMATION IN THE “EXPLANATORY DICTIONARY OF RUSSIAN COLLOQUIAL SPEECH"

The article examines how features of colloquial phonetics are represented in the “Explanatory Dictionary of Russian Colloquial Speech” (EDCS). EDCS includes some information on vocal-segmental and suprasegmental properties of colloquial words in the PRAGM section. Not all colloquial phonetic phenomena must to be incorporated into lexicographic descriptions. Nevertheless, for certain blocks of colloquial vocabulary such information is highly relevant. There is a signifi cant layer of colloquial words (mostly function and semi-function words) with widespread syllabically reduced pronunciation variants used as colloquial lexical doublets (schas-seichas, vasche-voobsche, grit-govorit, rup’-rubl’, piysyat-piat’desyat, etc.). Syllabic ellipsis serves as a marker of their colloquial nature. Another group of lexical items that require phonetic commentary encompasses words whose sound and prosodic properties indicate semantic shifts, emergence of new semantic nuances, changes in grammatical features, and so on. Strong syllabic ellipsis is not always due to a weak phrasal position. For certain lexemes functioning as interjections, syllabic reduction combined with accentual emphasis and specific melodic patterns serve as markers of emotional and expressive intensifi cation of the utterance (Shchas! Va-a-sche!). In colloquial speech, semantic shift is signaled not only by segmental-sound features, but also by prosody, such as presence or absence of phrasal accent, melodic contour of the word, vowel elongation, etc. A detailed phonetic commentary is particularly crucial for various function and semi-function words, primarily interjections and particles. Quite often their semantics and communicative functions are driven by the intonation and specifics of the sound structure.