Abstract:
It is widely known that in Georgian there are certain particles
referring to speech. Out of these particles, the particle ო o is added
to the speech (or to the words expressing intention) of the third per-son. Hence, ო o is termed as “direct speech particle”. This particle is
often used in proverbs, because it is implied that the third person
has uttered the proverbs.
Syntactically, proverbs are of diverse constructions. In this regard,
special focus should be made on the proverbs of hypotactic
construction containing the direct speech patricle ო o. In such
proverbs, the particle ო o is added to one of the members of the
above-mentioned construction, but the particle represents the entire
construction (and not its separate parts – either the main clause
or the subordinate one) as the speech of the third person.
From the stylistic-semantic viewpoint, it is interesting to define
the place of the direct speech particle ო o in the proverbs with hypotactic
constructions.
Analysis of the material has proved that, in general, in hypotactic
constructions, the forms with the particle ო o are found either
in the second or in the final part of the hypotactic construction, i.e.
either at the end of the main clause or at the end of the subordinate
one. However, it should be noted that, for the purpose of rhythm,
in certain proverbs, forms with the particle ო o are simultaneously
found in both parts of the hypotactic construction – the main clause
and the subordinate one. In such cases, there is equal number of
syllables in the main and the subordinate clause.
Thus, there are three options regarding the place of the forms
with the direct speech particle ო o in the proverbs with hypotactic
construction:
1. At the end of the hypotactic construction, in the main clause:
ურემი რომ გადაბრუნდება, გზა მაშინ გამოჩნდება-ო1
ueremi rom gadabrundeba gza mashin gamochndeba-o
gamochndeba-o
V-DSP “When the cart has turned over, the road will appear”
2. At the end of the hypotactic construction, in the subordinate
clause:
წამწამი ისე არ გაიზრდება, რომ წარბს ასცილდეს-ო
ts’amts’ami ise ar gaizrdeba, rom ts’arbs astsildes-o
astsdes-o
V-DSP
“An eyelash will not grow so high as to exceed the eyebrow”
3. In both parts of the hypotactic construction (the main clause
and the subordinate clause) simultaneously:
თუ შენა გაქვს ისარი-ო, ფარად მეც მაქვს ფიცარი-ო
tu shena gakvs isari-o, parad mec makvs pitsari-o
isari-o
N-DSP
pitsari-o
N-DSP
“If you have an arrow, I have a board as a shield”
Examples of these three cases are not equal in number. Therefore,
the paper also provides statistical data regarding the use of
these three cases. Naturally, this is important for the research of the
usage and spreading of the stylistic variants of the above-mentioned
proverbs.
