Ways of expressing singularity meaning in English proverbs

Great interest in the study of the linguistic picture of the world and the determination of national and cultural features of the English languages led to the need to examine proverbs and sayings with a quantitative component. Despite the fact that English linguistics is rich in works on studying the category of numbers in the formal and semantic plans, in terms of the conjugacy of the category of number with the category of certainty and uncertainty, research works on the structural semantic organization of the quantitative category in English linguistics is not enough.

The study is conducted in the mainstream of linguocultural studies, and phraseological units are considered both as signs of language and as signs of culture.

In this article, on the materials of the English language, the quantitative meaning of singularity, expressed by proverbs and sayings, is examined.

The universality of the category of quantity, along with the universality of proverbs and sayings in languages, led us to the assumption of a great degree of similarity in the manifestation of this category in the phraseological units. At the same time, we must not forget that proverbs, as a special type of phraseological units, lack all sorts of universal concepts through the prism of national perception and thinking.

The selection of the English proverbs included in the phraseo-semantic field of quantity was carried out by the method of continuous sampling from the lexicographic sources of the language. As for the Russian equivalents of the proverbs presented in the work, synonymous Russian units and / or verbatim translations are given.

English quantitative proverbs, expressing a definitely exact amount can be divided into two microfields: the microfield of unity and the microfield of multiplicity.

The main way to realize the category of singularity, that is the center of the microfield of singularity, is the singular forms of nouns and verbs (the verbal inflection of the third person singular with the suffix -s, -es, forms of the verbs "to have" and "to be". For example: The elder will say the younger one obeys; A sparrow is better in the hand than a rooster is on the roof.[2]

However, numbers in English are not always conveyed by real numerical differences. This applies to nouns having the same singular and plural form, for example "sheep", "deer", etc.

The meaning of singularity is also expressed in a lexical way by the numeral "one". A specific feature of this numeral is that it is located on the boundary between the category of quantity and quality, since an object in the quantity of one is an object in itself.[1] For example: All bread is not baked in one oven.

The number "one" , being the first element of the quantitative series, has different shades of numerical meaning (only one, not more; one or two in the linear series, as a component of the minimal paradigm, etc.). Thus, we can give the following types of quantitative values, actualized in the proverbs of the languages being compared:

• a)    a linearly unlimited quantitative value, expressed by combinations of words "one" with nouns of measure, nouns expressing a potentially open logical series of objects. However, it should be noted that this is not the most common meaning of the word "one" , since an object in the quantity of one is an object in itself, which can be grammatically transmitted by a singular form of a noun. Therefore, the use of numeral "one "  in the majority of cases is excessive. For example: One thing today is worth two tomorrows.[2]

• b)    linear-limiting quantitative meaning (the limit is logically and emotionally "only one"). For example: Friendship cannot stand always on one side.[2]

• c)    hierarchically-referential quantitative meaning. It expresses the natural property of real objects. The derivative "one-eyed" can illustrate this type. For example: In the country of the blind the one-eyed man is a king.[2]

It should also be noted that such an unremarkable part of speech in English, as an article, can also express the meaning of quantity. In particular, one of the components of the meaning of the indefinite article of English a / an is always the value of singularity, due to its etymological connection to the Old English numeral "one" , for example, a room = one room ". For example: A drop in the ocean.[2]

In the microfield of singularity there are also nouns denoting unique objects or phenomena, anthroponyms, toponyms of the group Singularia Tantum: George, the sun , the moon, the sky , Paris, e.g. All roads lead to Rome. [2]

The lexical units "alone, only lonely, single " are also included in the microfield of singularity. However, the seme of individuality here goes to the background, pushing the semes "uniqueness" and "loneliness" forward: A single bamboo can not form a row.[2]

The zone of the microfield of singularity also includes:

• 1)    indicative and possessive pronouns in the singular, combined with nouns in the singular: this, that, his, her, my, its etc. For example: This is out of all notch.

• 2)    ordinal numerals, used with nouns in the singular: first, second , etc. For example: it needs more skill than I can tell to play the second fiddle well.

• 3)    The pronouns "another", “some”, "someone" . For example: It's one thing to flourish and another to fight.

• 4)    personal pronouns "I",  "he", "she" , etc. For example: A man is as old as he

feels, and a woman as old as she looks.

• 5)    indefinite pronouns each, every , everyone, everyone . For example: Every bullet has its billet.

Thus, the value of singularity can be transferred by lexical (numeral "one" and words with the meaning of singularity, uniqueness) and grammatical methods (singular form).

Specific for the English language is the presence of an article "a / an", used only with numerals in the singular and bearing the meaning of singularity. Thus, the use of an indefinite article with a noun makes it unnecessary to use the numeral one "one".

It should also be noted that the form of the singularity is multivalued. Multivalence manifests itself in the ability to express not only the idea of a single object, but also its uniqueness.