Some remarks on Ukrainian-Polish argotic contacts (in the context of the development of East Slavic historical sociolects)

Abstract

The article focuses on the relationships between the Ukrainian and Polish argots as part of the broader process of forming and developing East Slavic sociolects. The main attention is paid to the comparative analysis of Ukrainian lyrists’ and craftsmen’s sociolects mentioned in the academic studies during the second half of the 19th century and in the early 21st century, as well as ochweśnik jargon — the sociolect of polish peddlers, which was profoundly researched by Wanda Budziszewska in the 1950s. Lexical parallels between Ukrainian and Polish argots are analyzed by quantitative and qualitative parameters, which makes it possible, firstly, to review some traditional points about formation of the ochweśnik jargon (in particular, about the impact of the Ofenya sociolect as a basis for all East Slavic sociolects) and secondly, to articulate lexical contacts between certain sociolects and to better understand specifics of their formation and development.