WORD CREATION PRACTICE OF GENRIKH SAPGIR

Genrikh Sapgir’s (1928–1999) word creation manifested in two dozen of his conceptual books of 1960-1990-ies can be considered a direct continuation and further development of similar practices by Velimir Khlebnikov, described in detail in the works by R. Vroon, V. Grigor’ev and N. Pertsova, to which the author refers.

The two poets are similar in the sets of the most productive patterns of word formation and in overall density of the neological layer in poems of different genres and forms.

On the other hand, as compared with Khlebnikov, Sapgir more often goes beyond the Slavic and «Eastern» vocabulary, more extensively uses compounding, onomatopoeia, than his great predecessor; combines the classic stanza forms with neologisms, uses variative repetitions in one text and within cycles and books.

Of particular interest are the so-called «half-word» actively used by Sapgir in different periods of his work and created, evidently, under the influence of futuristic language practice. Close to them are inversive words created by replacement of word parts, as well as macaronicisms which can also be considered as part of the general word creative field of the poet.

All of this makes Sapgir heir to the futuristic practice of word creation.