Traditions and innovations in constructing the anthroponymic space in stories by T.N. Tolstaya

Abstract

The article focuses on describing the functions performed by proper names and their role in the literary text, as well as on studying the traditional principles of developing the anthroponymic space in the stories by T.N. Tolstaya “Date with a bird”, “Fire and ashes”, “Sonya” (collected stories “Night”, “Not Kys”), and new ones, which are specific of these only. The work presents an attempt to analyze and describe the construction of the anthroponymics of the studied texts, which resulted in selecting the following structural elements: the core, the paranuclear space, and the periphery; besides, the boundaries were outlined for the onomastic space in the stories by T.N. Tolstaya. The connections between the image of the hero and their name were identified; the principles of creating a name and its etymology were studied; the symbolism of the names, their associative connections with the major idea; the connecting links between the onomastic text space elements were highlighted. It is a generally recognized fact that to thoroughly analyze a work of literature requires its holistic study and description; yet, the onomasticon, or proper name system, which reflects the author’s knowledge of the world, the nature, the man, and the society, culture, etc., and which is employed through implementing the creative plan, is essential in studying the writer’s language-bound personality and legacy. Onomastic units make up an integral element within a work of literature. In a literary text, they are functionally meaningful in nominative, ontological, axiological, and aesthetic aspects. Being components within the writer’s idiostyle, onyms in the context are aesthetically perceived in a complex figurative perspective. The most important provisions of modern onomastics made the basis for the theoretical basis of this study.

Keywords

• onomastics
• onomastic space
• anthroponymic space
• onym
• literary text