ANTHROPONYMY: PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL DIMENSION (A CASE STUDY OF THE CLASSICAL AND MODERN UKRAINIAN PROSE)

Abstract

The paper provides an analysis of formal and informal anthroponyms that act in the classical and modern Ukrainian prose. A case study of the names given to the characters of the prose works of I. Nechui-Levytskyi, Panas Myrnyi, M. Kulish, H. Tarasiuk, S. Protsiuk, M. Hrymych, M. Kidruk etc. shows how the names serve as means of linguistic expressiveness, reveals the thought and emotional space of the character, his/her personal, national, and religious identity. The object of the study are anthroponyms (formal, hypocoristics, nicknames, pseudonyms) used in the classical and modern texts. The subject of the research are the functional and stylistic opportunities of anthroponyms in fiction, and the linguophilosophical and linguopsychological dimension of proper names. The descriptive method and the method of contextual analysis are used toward the selected material – anthroponymical vocabulary of the Ukrainian fiction. The aim of this research is a functional, stylistic, and linguophilosophical analysis of the formal and informal anthroponymy in its relation to the issues raised by the authors in their prose. We raise a question how a name and the author’s attitude to the character (the holder of that name), a name and perceiving its holder by other characters, a name and self-awareness correlate. An emotional intimacy is emphasized as a factor that motivates people to use informal name variants. Some revealed variants symbolize the adulthood, infantilization, renunciation of the past or trying to preserve it. We uncover the reasons for naming of one character with many names and two characters – with the same name. It is shown how can they make ideological conflicts about the names, why a formal name is not required for the character, and what kind of role can the name variant play in the courtship ritual.