Abstract
The article aims to describe two synonymous constructions denoting overall size of objects in modern Russian: X razmerom s/v Z and X veličinoj s/v Z. The central claim has been that the analysis of the most prototypical forms in constructions featuring razmer (‚size’) or veličina (‚size’, ‚dimension’) provides an explanatory account of the usage of the near-synonyms in question. Apart from the crucial role of the preposition (s or v), further semantic and pragmatic factors which trigger the use of the corresponding dimension term have been identified, such as topological characteristics of spatial objects, overall vs. exact parameterizing as well as frequency of use. Both constructions exhibit an additional common feature, i.e. the ability to minimize or maximize the measurable parameters of objects.
Möhl, Anna