Amplifikační synonyma doložená v plzeňském Liber testamentorum z let 1468–1565
Amplificative synonyms documented in the Liber testamentorum of Plzeň, 1468–1565

Summary/Abstract: The paper is devoted to amplificatory synonyms attested in the Czech-written Pilsen book of wills Liber testamentorum from the years 1468–1565. In an effort to capture possible formulaic variability as well as potential development in the linguistic device under study, we selected manuscript wills from different years within the examined period and recorded by different scribes. The material basis of our inquiry consists of a set of fifteen preserved wills. The documented synonymic expressions were examined both formally and semantically—that is, we analyzed their lexical meaning, textual function, and degree of elaboration. On the basis of the attested amplificatory combinations, synonymic series were compiled. These consisted both of larger sets of synonyms and of synonymic pairs. The analysis of the linguistic material has shown that amplificatory synonyms can be regarded in the studied testamentary texts as an important linguistic device. A high frequency of use is found especially in amplificatory combinations formed by nouns and verbs (kšaft and poslednie rozkázanie; dává and odkazuje), but we also find amplificatory adverbs (the commonly used pair věrně and právě) and adjectives (múdří and opatrní pánové). The amplificatory combinations include synonyms fulfilling a specifying or intensifying function as well as complete synonyms. These are often terminological words and lexicalized phrases (e.g., poručenstvie, plná moc, poslednie rozkázanie, porúčěti). It also becomes evident that amplificatory combinations are more frequent in the older testaments. In later texts, amplification decreases, especially in the introductory and closing parts of testaments. We regard the observed decline of amplificatory synonyms as evidence of the development of administrative-legal language at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries.

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