ON THE SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIATION OF COMMON-ROOT DENOMINAL ADJECTIVES IN PROFESSIONAL TEXTS

Abstract

The article examines the trends of using common-root denominal adjectives with the suffixes ‑н‑ and ‑ов‑/‑ев‑ both in general and professional texts, which are necessary to form two-word terms and general phrases based on the model < denominal adjective> + <noun 1>, where the denominal adjective expresses the permanent characteristic of the first material object, named by noun 1, which is related with the second material object. The theoretical basis of this study was the works of leading Ukrainian linguists Ivan Kunets, Halyna Shherbatiuk, Arnold Hryshchenko, and Kateryna Horodenska, which considered the historical evolution of Ukrainian denominal adjectives with the suffixes ‑н‑ and ‑ов‑/‑ев‑and in language for general purpose the parallel functioning of adjectives with these suffixes formed from the same noun stem. It has been established that the suffix ‑н‑, whose primary meaning was that of general neutral relativity, in modern Ukrainian has become a multifunctional suffix allowing to form both relative and qualitative adjectives from noun stems, and the suffix ‑ов‑/‑ев‑, which by its origin was suffix of possessive adjectives, transformed into a suffix of relative adjectives. Hence the modern Ukrainian has numerous examples of parallel forms that have a common derivative noun stem and differ in the meaning due to the difference in suffixes: adjectives with the suffix ‑н‑ express qualitative meanings, both direct and figurative, and adjectives with the suffix ‑ов‑/‑ев‑ – the meanings of general relativity and material origin. Such diversity of the Ukrainian language makes it possible to specify the meaning with the adjective form itself, which is necessary for professional texts, although it is often useful for general texts as well. The semantic differentiation of two pairs of adjectives: сонячний and сонцевий, хмарний and хмаровий, which are very important for professional texts, is considered, and the practicability of the proposed approach is shown. The tables provide a collection of terms and two-word phrases clearly showing when to use a relative adjective with the suffix ‑ов‑/‑ев‑, and when to use a qualitative adjective with the suffix -н-. This refutes the statement that the proposed differentiation makes it much more difficult to learn and use the terminology.