ANTHROPONYMS AS MEANS OF EXPRESSION OF THE NATIONAL ESTHETICS OF TARAS MELNYCHUK’S LINGUISTIC WORLD

Abstract

The article studies anthroponyms in Taras Melnychuk’s poetic linguistic world. The research analyses the semantics of the proper names of the theme groups “national history” and “national literature” and focuses on their ethnolinguistic aspect. Mostly outlined is the connotation of the proper names that denote the representatives of the national history of the time of princes and the time of the liberation struggle of the 17th–19th centuries. The epoch of the Kyivan Rus is represented mainly by anthroponyms denoting the princes who were statebuilders (Святослав, Володимир, Ігор and others). The time of the Cossack and peasant movement is represented by anthroponyms that denote personalities widely-known in Ukranian society: Cossack leaders (Богдан Хмельницький, Сірко, Нечай and others) and vigilantes (Довбуш, Кармелюк). Another powerful identifier of the esthetic mentality of the Sixtiers in T. Melnychuk’s works are proper names that outline the literary circle represented in the author’s anthroponymicon by the names, surnames and сircumlocutions of Ukrainian classics (Сковорода, Тарас and others). The author’s comprehension of the historical discourse, the constant search of historic reasons for losing national freedom, the accentuated dramatic reliving of Ukraine’s fate fully represent the dissident worldview. It is observed that the author’s linguistic mind is closely interwoven with mythology and folk song tradition, which points to the main features of the poet’s individual style.