Augmentatives and their functions in Zyta Rudzka’s novel Ten się śmieje, kto ma zęby

Abstract

The aim of the text is to characterize augmentatives appearing in the novel Ten się śmieje, kto ma zęby of Zyta Rudzka (Warsaw 2022), as well as an attempt to describe the functions performed by augmentatives in the cited literary text. Usually, augmentatives indicate the large size of the referent and are a carrier of an expressive, often negative or humorous character. Their presence is associated with the rudeness and emotionality of the expression. They play a different role in the analyzed literary material. Their appearance in the heroine’s internal monologue can be seen as an expression of distance from a difficult situation, hiding emotions, and also as a stylistic element (sociolinguistic characteristics of the heroine). The use of augmentatives, especially those derived from bases that are vulgarisms or common words, does not fit into the stereotypical perception of a middle-aged woman, but it well reflects the heroine’s struggle for physical and mental survival, for the right to maintain independence and autonomy as much as possible.