Purpose conjunction дабы and its functioning in the journalism of the XX and XXI centuries: historical and communicative aspects

The study of outdated vocabulary and the appropriateness of its use is of interest from the point of view of the development and preservation of the language richness and variability, especially amid current standardization, simplification and unification of languages in general and the Russian language in particular. The article presents analysis of the use of a low-frequency conjunction of purpose дабы in publicist texts from the point of view of the meanings it can bring. In linguistic literature, it is labeled as outdated, bookish, and stylistically colored. The author assumes that the choice of atypical linguistic means should be considered an indicator of the language flexibility and its adjustment to the most accurate expression of meaning in a given communicative situation. The author uses specific examples to show that the use of this conjunction in publicist texts is stylistically relevant, since it can serve not only as a means of archaization for adding some historical color, but also as a tool for giving the text a touch of solemnity and sublimity, as well as for implicit expression of the author’s irony, sarcasm or evaluation. In particular cases, the purpose component introduced by the conjunction дабы may function independently, separately from the main sentence/clause, indicating a call or motivation rather than a goal. Thus, the use of atypical means of communication correlates with such main functions of the journalistic style as providing information, evaluation, incentive, and influence.