MODELING IN FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR: KEY APPROACHES

Abstract

This article investigates the modeling framework within functional grammar, based on the theory of the Saint-Petersburg (Leningrad) linguistic school. It focuses on the analysis and systematization of key modeling constructs – the functional-semantic field (FSF) and the categorical situation (CS), which are regarded as fundamental units of the functional description of language. The theoretical foundation of the research is built upon the seminal works of A. V. Bondarko and his followers, who established the principles of the functional-semantic approach. The study provides a detailed analysis of how the FSF, by integrating language means from different levels (morphological, syntactic, lexical, and derivational) around a dominant semantic category, creates a basis for modeling holistic meanings. The categorical situation is examined as a specific realization of a field in speech, actualizing its core and peripheral elements within a particular utterance. The article demonstrates how the interaction of these two categories models the mechanism of expressing specific semantics (e.g., temporality, modality, locality) in the unity of the system (language) and its function (speech). The outcome of the research is a comprehensive and systematic view of the FSF and CS as the primary instruments for the functional modeling of language, revealing the systemic connections between grammar, lexicon, and semantics.