A QUANTITATIVE METHOD FOR ANALYSIS OF CONNECTIVES: THE "PORTRAIT" OF THE RUSSIAN CONJUNCTION ILI (OR) IN THE SUPRACORPORA DATABASE OF CONNECTIVES
The functional properties of the conjunction ili ‘or’ are quite well studied and discussed in grammars and number of specific studies. However, they were not subjected to multivariate quantitative analysis. The paper proposes this kind of analysis, carried out according to six parameters: i) logical-semantic relation expressed by the conjunction, ii) syntactic structure of the text fragment introduced by it, iii) position of the conjunction in this text fragment, iv) order of the text fragments connected by it, v) status of ili in the context (cf. its use as a particle mentioned in MAS), vi) disposition of the elements that make up the multiword connectives (cf. ili ... ili prosto ‘or ... or just’). The analysis of the formal variants of ili, carried out using the Supracorpora database of connectives, made it possible to formulate the conclusions that follow and to confirm them with quantitative data. i) Always occupying the initial position in the text fragment introduced by him, ili is used mainly as a connective. ii) The most typical order of text fragments for formal variants with ili is the p CNT q scheme. iii) By its syntactic characteristics ili is directly opposite to i ‘and’: ili is used in written texts in most cases for a non-predicative coordination. iv) Formal variants with ili express the relation of alternative at all three semantic levels (propositional, illocutive, metalinguistic), as well as the relations of substitution, correction, and negative alternative, but with a clear predominance of propositional alternative. v) Ili forms multiword and two- and multicomponent connectives; their composition varies depending on the relation expressed by them.