СПЕЦИФИКА АНТРОПОНИМИЧЕСКОЙ СИСТЕМЫ АНГЛИЙСКОГО ЯЗЫКА
СПЕЦИФИКА АНТРОПОНИМИЧЕСКОЙ СИСТЕМЫ АНГЛИЙСКОГО ЯЗЫКА
Аннотация
В статье рассматриваются особенности антропонимов в разных языковых аспектах, исследуются формальные и содержательные свойства антропонимов (на примере английского языка), этимология и способы образования. В рамках статьи также анализируется специфика британских личных имен, выделяются их основные черты. Целью является выявление прагматического потенциала антропонима. В целом, антропонимическая система английского языка имеет множество особенностей, которые делают её уникальной и перспективной для изучения. Авторы приходят к заключению, что антропонимы (в том числе английские) выполняют стилистическую функцию, обозначают контекст описываемых событий, отражают исторические и социальные вехи развития нации или страны.
1. Introduction
Despite the vastness of the research on anthroponymy already conducted, the linguists' attention to the personal name does not weaken at the present stage. The question of the status and functions of the anthroponym in the language system is still of researchers' interest. Therefore, the study of anthroponyms is an urgent problem of modern linguistics, since these units of language differ in their content and functional variety. The purpose of this article is to consider the characteristics of the proper name as a whole and to identify the specifics of its functioning in the language system. Recently, due to the trend towards anthropocentrism in all spheres of humanitarian knowledge, linguists have become interested in the functioning of anthroponyms in language and speech. The totality of modern personal names is a system of various kinds of names: native and borrowed, new and traditional, real and fictional ones. English-speaking countries have their own nomination system, their own ways of forming anthroponyms and their penetration from one language into another.
2. Research methods and principles
The methods and principles of linguistic research are diverse and allow for a deep understanding of language as a system. The combination of methods, in turn, gives a more complete picture of linguistic phenomena. Since the development of the linguistic system of different peoples has undergone changes due to various cultural and historical fractures, the study of the anthroponymic system of the English-speaking world is an urgent problem of onomastics. At the moment, we can note a considerable number of authors of the works devoted to both general and particular problems of the proper name in the language system: A. Vezhbitskaya, D. B. Gudkov, D. I. Ermolovich, O. A. Leonovich, G. Y. Syzranova, E. Y. Rubtsova, etc. It should be noted that the onomastics of the English language is quite developed and continues to develop actively thanks to new research
, , , .3. Main results
When studying anthroponyms, it is necessary to identify the most common names, the history of changes in these names, the source of their appearance, social function, structures and grammatical properties. Native English names and personal names borrowed from other languages can be distinguished. Anthroponyms differ in structure and grammatical categories
, . Like anthroponyms in general, English proper names carry information about the cultural-historical, national-ethnic, geographical identity of English-speaking countries. In modern Britain, everyone has a personal name (first name, given name) and a surname (last name, family name, surname); but it is also not uncommon to have double personal names, double surnames, the so-called middle name. Middle names in the UK are often chosen in honour of a family member or in order to add a name to the child's main name. They are not always used in official documents, but are usually used in social situations. According to O. A. Leonovich, popular boys' middle names are James, Alexander and Edward; popular girls' middle names are Rose, Grace and Elizabeth .There are usually several groups of anthroponyms, including English, which differ in variety
, . The anthroponymic fund of the English language in most cases is represented by native anthroponyms, but a significant layer consists of borrowed ones. Personal names, as a rule, can be easily recognized, thanks to the lowercase spelling and certain affixes that make it clear that this is an anthroponym in meaning. For example, traditionally English surnames end in -son (Clempson), in -er (Denver), in -ing (Eagling) or in -wood (Dalwood), and this allows you to see that this is a surname, not a personal name. But names like Miss Blue-Eyes, Carter Brown, or Mr. Zero, which are considered talking names, are not always easy to identify in the text as first names or last names. They are often artificially created to enhance the emotional characteristics in the text of fiction.The nominal value of an anthroponym is not intended to provide any information about a person, it serves only for identification
, . Important sources of anthroponyms are often mythology (ancient Greek or Roman), literature, the characters' names which were widely used in society. In a certain era, they began to assign names denoting mythological characters: Achilles, Adonis, Calliope. The names of literary heroes also gained popularity in certain periods of English history: Calvin is the main character in the novel by W. Faulkner's "Light in August"; Corny is a character in G. B. Shaw's play "John Bull's Other Island"; Geraldina is a character in S. Coleridge's poem "Christabel".The phenomenon of derivation is common in the English proper name system. In this regard, D. I. Ermolovich notes: "Derivatives combine all derived names: abbreviated, affectionate, diminutive and familiar (English short forms, pet names, diminutives, familiar forms), which cannot be clearly differentiated"
. Let's consider some examples of derivatives from the dictionary of English personal names, abbreviated and diminutive variants of the name that are typical for the English anthroponomicon: Abram – Abie, Bram; Adelina – Addy, Della; Augustus – Gus, Gustavus, Gussie; Clifford – Cliff; Gwendoline – Gwen; Herrick – Eric; Jeannie – Jean. Derivatives are widely used in modern English. English derivatives are most often formed morphologically, usually by shortening or less often by affixing, for example: Cornelius, Corney, Corny (formation by affixing), Daniel – Dan (abbreviation), Danny (suffixing method), Isabella – Bel, Bella, Ella (abbreviation), Jennifer – Jen (abbreviation) – Jenny (suffix method).The analysis showed that anthroponyms in English language discourse contain various kinds of connotations – evaluative, emotional, expressive, social, psychological and cultural ones. Anthroponyms cause activation of semantic structures in the recipient's mind, so that the cultural background can help to decipher and more deeply understand the meaning of the anthroponym. Anthroponyms also perform a stylistic function, express a national character, indicate the context of the events described, and refer to historical phenomena.
4. Conclusion
Summing up, it is important to emphasize that anthroponyms (including English ones) reflect the historical and social milestones of the development of a nation or a country. The analysis of the practical material showed that English anthroponyms are often borrowed from different source languages (Old French, German, Spanish, Latin and Oriental languages); this feature is typical for anthroponyms of other linguistic cultures. Classical literary works and mythological motifs can serve as a source of anthroponyms. The English language is characterized by a two-component model of anthroponyms naming a person, but the middle name is also often used. Another important aspect of the English language anthroponymic system is its dynamism and variability. As for the sociocultural context, English first and last names often reflect social status, nationality, religion and other aspects of personality and society. In general, the anthroponymic system of the English language possesses many features that make it unique and promising for study.