Frequency distributions of adnominal constructions in Pasternak’s lyrics
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Sergey Andreev
Abstract
The study examines the adnominal system across six lyric collections by Boris Pasternak, covering the period from 1914 to 1957. Adnominals, being syntactically autonomous, function as crucial markers of an author’s unique stylistic fingerprint and its evolution. By examining the distribution, frequency and type of adnominals (adjectives, participles, determiners, etc.), the research aims to reveal the principles of Pasternak’s descriptive technique and to trace the dynamics of his creative manner over time. The analysis singled out a stable core of frequently used adnominal types that form the basis of Pasternak’s style, alongside features exhibiting significant variability that signal stylistic changes. The results demonstrate a consistently high descriptive intensity (approximately 50 % of nouns are modified), a high frequency of postnominal genitives and a moderate use of syntactic inversions (14.98 % of all adnominals) that deviates from canonical Russian poetic norms. Furthermore, the results outline a clear diachronic trajectory establishing three distinct creative phases: an early experimental period, a middle stage, and a mature late period. This evolution is marked by a significant shift in the adnominal system after the first collection, a gradual increase in adjectival inversions, and a systemic reduction of mid-valency nouns in later works. These results corroborate periodizations of Pasternak’s works based on a number of poetic features (metrical, strophic, rhyme-related, etc.) and on morphological data.
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