Publication details
Between language play and language game
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2004 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Theory and Practice in English Studies. Vol. 2. |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Linguistics |
| Keywords | informative texts; little text; language play; language games; crossword puzzle; cryptic clue |
| Description | The article deals with selected aspects of language play in English and in Czech, accenting language games as a special instance of language play. The fact that language games are more popular and more refined in English than in Czech is demonstrated on the example of crossword puzzles which show a much wider scale of types and levels of sophistication in English. "Cryptic" crossword puzzles, common in Britain, are described in greater detail as this type is unknown in Czech and is not even mentioned in comparative cultural studies, presumably because it is completely inaccessible for non-native speakers: each clue is a separate riddle with strict rules and a sophisticated language play. Few examples of language play in literature follow. It is suggested that language play is introduced into Czech literature under English influence; it often appears in the works of writers who also work as translators from English (J. Zábrana, J. Škvorecký, B. Hodek). |
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