SPECIFIC FEATURES OF COMPOSITES IN ENGLISH MILITARY DISCOURSE (GRAMMATICAL ASPECT)

Abstract

The article analyzes English compound words in military discourse. The actualization of military language practice in modern conditions and the need to study compound lexemes in this context are noted. A definition of the term “composite” is formulated. The features of the holistic design of compound words within the framework of the study are outlined, namely phonetic, orthographic, structural, and semantic. The phonetic characteristics of compound words that determine their pronunciation and meaning (stress on the first component, words with double stress) are considered. Within the orthographic feature, solid spelling, spaced spelling, and hyphenation are noted as well as capitalization – to emphasize the importance, formality, or specificity of certain military realities. The typical word-formation models of complex lexemes functioning in modern English military discourse (noun + noun, adjective + noun, preposition + noun, noun + verb) are highlighted. The structure of composite stems (words with simple and derivative stems, compound lexemes where one of the components is a compound stem) is analyzed. The semantics of lexemes forming compound words is considered; idiomatic and non-idiomatic constructions are distinguished. The use of slang in the context of informal communication is noted. Attention is also paid to the peculiarities of the semantic center, which influences the understanding of the meaning of a lexical unit. The structure of composites is studied according to the classifications proposed by various researchers (juxtaposition, syntactic method of formation; syntactic and analogical composites; with coordinating and subordinating connection). Based on the analysis of the grammatical features of compound words, it is concluded that the use of composite lexemes in English military discourse ensures the accuracy and specification of descriptions of military activities, promotes standardization and unification of the terminology in this field, increases the efficiency of communication, and reflects the peculiarities of military culture.