The discourse functions of the particle "i" in newspaper articles

The article considers the functional-semantic aspect of the particle "i" as a discourse marker. It is a supplementary communicative unit and it functions in spoken and written language. The paper analyzes its functioning in political, economic, culture articles in federal and local newspapers of Perm Krai. By means of the functional-stylistic analysis, it has been established that only some meanings given in dictionaries and Russian Grammar - 80 (based on the analysis of literary texts) are used in the newspaper discourse. At the same time, the paper reveals some new functions of the particle "i". This particle signals the introduction of evaluation (fact and its evaluation) and actualizes increasing meanings of concession, conjuction, highlighting, as well as limiting and clarification. In addition, as a particle used in combination with other discourse markers, "i" also has a functional-semantic aspect. Examples of this kind of combinations show properties of semantic-pragmatic realization in the newspaper discourse. As a discourse marker, the particle "i" in combination with other units is used to emphasize the conditional-consequential relationships, limiting and to increase clarification. Such combinations also have the meanings of concession, conjunction, highlighting, and they increase the performance and evaluation. Thus, we can assume that in newspaper texts the particle "i" is widely used to express various additional meanings, which contributes to the functional-semantic extension. Use of this particle provides implementation of the evaluation function (fact and its evaluation), actualizes increasing concession, linking, highlighting meanings and others. Thus, in the newspaper discourse the particle "i" is widely used as a conjunction and also as a particle in simple and complex sentences. In spite of the peripheral position of the particle "i" in the auxiliary discursive system, it performs an important communicative and discursive function due to its functional and semantic significance.