Some Lexical Characteristics of the Early Drafts of L. N. Tolstoy’s Story “Youth”

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This study was supported by grant no. 25-28-20226 from the Russian Science Foundation, https://rscf.ru/project/25-28-20226/
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Romanov, D. A. “Some Lexical Characteristics of the Early Drafts of L. N. Tolstoy’s Story ʽYouth’.” Dva veka russkoi klassiki, vol. 8, no. 3, 2026, pp. 284–305. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22455/2686-7494-2026-8-3-284-305
Abstract:
This study aims to identify the lexical indicators of Leo Tolstoy’s innovative approaches to literary text. The biographical trilogy not only established the fundamental features of the writer’s individual style but also refined the author’s approaches to word processing: the selection of lexical units, word creation, the addition of connotative shades to meaning, the formal and semantic transformation of foreign lexemes, and the use of figurative, expressive, and stylistic devices. The author’s initial versions of the text provide representative information about the nature of Tolstoy’s work on “Youth.” The article emphasizes their value in illustrating Tolstoy’s fundamental approaches to the artistic development of vocabulary. The dynamic changes in the lexical composition of these textual versions are examined as a process of honing the writer’s craft and as a “dialogue” with the literary language of the era. The use of corpus methodology and statistical analysis (based on the National Corpus of the Russian Language) makes it possible to trace the chronological development of each lexical phenomenon under study, determine its frequency level, and assess its potential influence on the development of the lexical composition of the Russian literary language in subsequent times.
Keywords: literary text, L. N. Tolstoy, “Youth,” author’s editions, individual style, vocabulary, potential word, vernacular, borrowing, stylistic techniques
Author: Dmitry A. Romanov
Information about the author:
Dmitry A. Romanov, DSc in Philology, Professor, Tula State L. N. Tolstoy Pedagogical University, Lenin Ave., 125, bld. 4, 300026 Tula, Russia.

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9650-3408

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Received: March 28, 2026
Approved after reviewing: May 12, 2026
Published: September 25, 2026
Issue: 2026 Volume 8 No. 3
Department: Textual Criticism. Source Study
Pages: 284-305
DOI: Visit Website
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https://elibrary.ru/OHVHVP
UDK: 821.161.1.09"19"
Publication Type: Research Article

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