The correlation between the concepts of “idiolect / idiostyle” and “speech portrait” in modern Russian linguistics

The article examines the relationship between the terms speech portrait, idiolect, and idiostyle. The relevance of this issue is substantiated, and an overview comparison of perspectives on idiolect and idiostyle is provided. It is argued that idiolect refers to an individual’s unique use of language and all its styles, while idiostyle pertains to an individual’s distinctive use of language or a particular style within a specific text or system of texts. Different interpretations of the speech portrait are analyzed, with two main approaches outlined: (1) as a system of speech units regularly used by a speaker to achieve communicative goals, and (2) as a comprehensive method for studying an individual’s speech activity, including the analysis of linguistic units from all levels, stylistic elements, and pragmatic tools. The article identifies the characteristics of the speech portrait, such as speech orientation, level-based structure, communicative-pragmatic nature, connection to extralinguistic factors, stability, social dimension, materiality, practicality, and the dialectical interplay between individuality and collectivity. A parallel comparison is drawn between speech portrait and idiolect, as well as speech portrait and idiostyle. The article concludes that the speech portrait is structurally close to the idiolect and functionally similar to the idiostyle.