The figure-ground relation and style

Abstract

With reference to meaning construction, functional-cognitive linguistics often brings into focusthe investigation of the figure-ground relation. The present paper approaches the figure-ground relation from the point of view of stylistics. That is, it asks and seeks answers to the question of how the figure-ground relation appears in style, and how we can describe this phenomenon of language. The questions of figure-ground relation are discussed first (1) theoretically, in general, and thereafter the (2) stylistic significance of this relationship will be treated. In the third part of the paper, (3) an analysis and interpretation of a (linguistic-)stylistic investigation with 60 informants is given. The informants highlighted in three texts the elements which, according to them, are in the foreground, that is, are salient (prominent), from the point of view of style, and then gave the grounds for their responses. This novel investigation in this field will not only serve to draw certain theoretical conclusions in this area, but also aims to be a starting point for further similar investigations. As a conclusion, it can be stated that the figure-ground relation hassignificant stylistic relevance, but the issues discussed here require further explanation and more extensive testing.