Towards Jadwiga Wajszczuk’s theory of citation

Abstract

The article consists of two parts. In the first part, the citation theory outlined by J. Wajszczuk (2005) is recalled. The second part contains an analysis of three Polish verbs referring to abusive quoting: przekręcić [coś] ‘misrepresent [something]’, przeinaczyć [coś] ‘twist [something]’ i wypaczyć [coś] ‘distort [something]’. The first of the lexemes has the broadest reference. It refers to both citation and assertory speaking. The verb wypaczyć ‘to distort [something]’ refers to a situation of significant interference in someone else’s text in conjunction with a current speaker’s’ negative evaluation. The verb przeinaczyć [coś] ‘to twist [something]’ allows for the lessening of the speaker’s guilt, who infidelly updates someone else’s statement. The verbs of the tainted message describe the logical completion of faithful quotation. They emphasize the fact that a violation of the unwritten imperative to treat someone else’s speech may be more or less harmful.