the contemporary system of speech genres

  The research deals with two related genres, representing the periphery of the contemporary system of speech genres. The otgovorka is a genre of children’s folklore, reflecting a specific form of children’s communicative behavior. It allows to defend oneself against verbal aggression with the help of a certain list of cliched (most often rhymed) texts well known in children’s subculture. In the speech of adults it corresponds to the otgovor - a genre uncharacteristic of literary speech, the sphere of its usage is folk culture.

The research deals with the taboo as a traditional speech genre, which is a prominent part of the contem­porary system of speech genres. The taboo as a speech and partly folklore genre is based on the system of beliefs passed down from generation to generation, and ensures compliance with certain rules of behav­ior, first of all – preventing actions which, according to the traditional world view, can harm the violator.