Evaluative Adjectives as Marks of Subjectivity. A Discourse Analysis of Travel Guides Cover Image

Adjectivele evaluative ca mărci ale subiectivităţii. Analiză asupra discursului ghidurilor turistice
Evaluative Adjectives as Marks of Subjectivity. A Discourse Analysis of Travel Guides

Author(s): Ioana Daniela Bălăuţă
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Applied Linguistics
Published by: UNIVERSITATEA »ȘTEFAN CEL MARE« SUCEAVA
Keywords: travel guide;evaluative adjectives;subjectivity;concordance;

Summary/Abstract: The article addresses the way in which the evaluative adjectives, integrated in the discourse of travel guides, reflect the subjectivity of the enunciator. In a comparative approach, our objectives are to identify, classify and semantically analyze the evaluative adjectives, frequently used in the discourse of current tourist guides, having the same reference, Romania, from both the Romanian and the French space. In travel guide, the declarative instance produces an informative but also a prescriptive speech. The use of axiological evaluation adjectives, which focuses on topics such as authenticity, beauty, notoriety, excellence, etc., is one of the ways to introduce the enunciator’s subjectivity into the tourist text, in order to convince the reader. The interpretation of subjective semantic elements is related to the culture in which the text was written. By exploiting computerized techniques, we submit the corpus of statistical analyses to identify the frequently used adjectives that allow to enhance the qualities of a destination (Romania), in order to convince potential tourists. We consider that a work on this issue is relevant given that Romanian studies have approached the marks of subjectivity in the reception of the poetic text and analyzed the media discourse in terms of subjectivity, but, a complex analysis that would identify and interpret the role of evaluative adjectives in the speech of tourist guides has not been elaborated yet.

  • Issue Year: XXXIV/2020
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 279-294
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Romanian
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