COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF LINGUISTIC AND STYLISTIC PECUARITIES OF THE EPITHET IN THE ENGLISH AND RUSSIAN FAIRY TALES (BASED ON THE TALES OF O. WILDE AND M.E. SALTYKOV-SHCHEDRIN)

Abstract

Background. Studying and understanding stylistic devices, and, in particular, the epithet, is an integral part of the world linguistic picture. The epithet is inextricably linked with all literary works and is therefore a key part of any language. It reveals the attitude of native speakers to certain phenomena, which is manifested in the use of words stable for epithets. However, the lack of certainty in various aspects of the study of the epithet determines the need for its further study. The subject of the study is the linguistic and stylistic features of the epithet in English and Russian fairy tales. Purpose. The article identifies and compares the linguistic and stylistic features of epithets in the English and Russian fairy tales. Materials and methods: The material for the study comprises 150 epithets from the fairy tales of O. Wilde the fairy tales of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin. When analyzing the material, the following methods of linguistic analysis were used: semantic, stylistic, cultural, comparative and quantitative analysis, as well as the continuous sampling method. Results. As a result of a comparative study, identical and distinctive pecularities of epithets in two languages were identified. It was determined that the stylistic characteristics of epithets are largely similar, but it is emphasized that the English-language epithets are more unique and concise than Russian-language ones, which, in turn, are characterized by repetition and figurative meaning. In the English-language examples, there was greater neutrality and an emphasis on the positive and neutral qualities of the characters. Negative connotations were noted in the Russian-language epithets. Practical implications. The results of the study can be used in the study of the courses in stylistics, foreign literature, as well as in foreign language classes.