Speech and the Space of Consciousness: the Addressee Structure and Social Meaning in Abai’s Works

Abstract

This article examines the pragmatic meaning and social code of speech in the works of Abai Kunanbaiuly from a linguistic perspective. The aim of the study is to analyze the addressee structure and pragmatic function of Abai’s discourse, as well as its role in shaping public consciousness and moral values. The study’s direction and core ideas focus on uncovering the social significance of speech within poetic and discursive contexts, demonstrating the influence of language on national consciousness and spiritual renewal through Abai’s works, and identifying how linguistic tools convey social content. The scientific and practical significance lies in offering a theoretical basis for spiritual and linguistic revival in modern Kazakh society by exploring the communicative, educational, and worldview functions of Abai’s language. The social codes and value systems conveyed in Abai’s works are analyzed from a pragma-linguistic perspective and linked with the addressee structure in linguistic studies. Methodology – discourse analysis, pragma-linguistic and semantic analysis, stylistic and lexical content interpretation. The study reveals the pragmatic orientation of Abai’s speech toward the listener and its socio-cultural content. It proves that symbolic and moral codes conveyed through dialogic structures and linguistic transformations contribute to the spiritual development of society. Abai’s works are categorized into four main addressee structures, demonstrating that the structural and semantic systems of his speech function as a medium for transmitting both national and universal values. Scientific value of the research – by exploring the pragmatic dimension of Abai’s discourse, the study provides a scholarly description of critical stages in the development of the Kazakh literary language and public consciousness. Moreover, it offers deeper insight into the relationship between speech and thought, word and consciousness. The findings of the study can be applied in teaching the Kazakh language, literary studies, discourse theory, speech scientific, and cultural education aimed at shaping national identity.