Functional words in Russian language system: functions and semantics of particles, conjunctions and adverbials

The article reflects the content of the lecture delivered at the 1st Eurasian Congress of Linguists (Moscow, 9-13 December 2024), focusing on the semantic and pragmatic characteristics of functional words and their role in guiding the understanding by the hearer. The comparison of functional words and other parts of speech is also presented. The paper demonstrates that the semantics of particles, conjunctions and adverbials should be described with the help of such concepts as general meaning of the lexeme, functions of the lexeme in various contexts (emphasizing, connecting, expressing emotions etc.) and the specific meanings that are connected with the general meaning. The research employs the Moscow semantic school’s framework, utilizing the concepts such as semantic shifts, connectors, affective state markers, functional perspective and others.