Punctuation Transfer in Literary Texts

This paper presents a description of punctuation transfer and its types using examples from the transference of Spanish question marks and exclamation points into Russian literary texts. The primary material for this study consists of instances of punctuation transfer found in prose and poetry of the twenty-first century, while additional data comes from early experiments with such transfers dating back to the nineteenth century. The relevance of this research stems from the fact that foreign-language punctuation has received little attention within the theory of cultural and linguistic transfer. Consequently, factors motivating writers or poets to employ punctuation transfer as well as typologies of incorporating foreign-language punctuation into literary works have not been adequately established. It is demonstrated here that punctuation transfer involves deliberate borrowing of foreign punctuation marks. Two distinct types of punctuation transfer are identified based on their stylistic function: one type applies when marking foreign language dialogue, whereas another type pertains to special punctuational organization within native-language text. It is noted that the first type predominates in prose, while the second type is more characteristic of poetic compositions.