The variance of word-forming suffixes in conversational person names based on external features

Abstract

This article addresses the issue of quantitative and qualitative manifestations of variance of wordforming suffixes in the names of persons motivated by noun names of the body parts and adjective names of some of the external excessive corporeal markers. For the first time, the paper ascertains historically formed and the most complete composition of specific noun suffixes leading to the rise of the equivalent and mostly cognate names of persons with respect to actualized external features of their body. The author discusses the ability of all names of human body parts and some names of corporeal external qualitative features to be combined with the different number of word-forming suffixes within the common word-forming meaning which allows for forming six-, four-, three-, and two-variant series. In this paper, І determine the actualized feature each variant series is based on, indicate a number of its variant suffixes, and account for their ratio in terms of productivity and functional and stylistic use. The main hypothesis is that it is the stylistically reduced nature of variant names of persons based on appearance which led to their predominant use in the colloquial usage and language of Ukrainian fiction. As a necessary part of the account, we provide evidence from literary works in Ukrainian translations which attest to a noticeable intensification in the above-mentioned names use. A rather broad reflection of these variant appellatives in Ukrainian surnames shows a characteristic feature of Ukrainian mentality, namely the differentiation of the outside world subjects due to the preferred corporeal related markers. Keywords: variance of word-forming suffixes, names of persons by external features, variant series, common names, surnames