PROPER NAMES OF THE LITERARY HEROES OF THE NOVEL “THE KIN” BY DMYTRO KESHELIA AS A SOURCE OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATIONAL CHARACTER OF TRANSCARPATHIANS

Abstract

The scientific study is devoted to the research of proper names of the literary heroes, which allows for the identification of individual stylistic features of characters' proper names, influenced by a wide variety of factors. Our research is relevant because proper names of the literary heroes carry national and cultural information and significantly supplement general perceptions of anthroponyms as basic components of the onymic system.
The purpose of our study is to describe proper names of the literary heroes in the novel “The Kin” by Dmytro Keshelia. Our task is to prove that proper names of the literary heroes of the novel serve as a source of understanding the national character of Transcarpathians, as well as to examine their etymology and the motives behind their creation.
It is proven that proper names of the literary heroes in Dmytro Keshelia’s novel “The Kin” serve as a source of understanding the national character and worldview of Ukrainians. The characters' names provide insights into the customs and traditions of name formation among Transcarpathians. It is noted that the novel is dominated by traditional calendar names and surnames belonging to the Transcarpathian anthroponymic system. Names and surnames with a dialectal basis act as a vivid means of expressing local color. It was established that many nicknames are derived from the names of famous figures, particularly politicians of the respective historical periods. Such names characterize the characters based on various features of the real-world denotatum. A number of proper names of the literary heroes are formed based on occupations, physical appearance, or moral qualities. Humorous character names reflect the local dialect and embody folk wisdom. We are convinced that the characters' names mirror the national characteristics of Transcarpathian Ukrainians; they are original and carry a significant informational load.