I. A. MELNYK SEMANTIC SPECIFICITY AND FORMAL-SYNTACTIC POSITIONS OF ADJECTIVES (CASE STUDY – THE NOVELS “HEATHER HONEYS” AND “LIVE UNTIL SPRING” BY NADIIA HUMENIUK)

Abstract

Summary. Introduction. The research in which grammar phenomena are characterized on the basis of specific empirical material of the modern Ukrainian language is of great interest nowadays. The topicality of our study is conditioned by the fact that there is no research on semantic and formal-syntactic originality of the adjectives used in the novels by Nadiia Humeniuk.

Purpose. The purpose of our research is to carry out integral analysis of the semantic nature of adjectives, their primary and secondary formal-syntactic functions (case study – the novels “Heather Honeys” and “Live until Spring” by Nadiia Humeniuk).

Methods. To achieve the purpose and solve the tasks of the research, a set of methods have been utilized. The descriptive method is the main one, it has been used to carry out integral research of semantic specificity and functional peculiarities of the adjectives on the basis of specific empirical material of the modern Ukrainian language. We have also applied the method of observation of formal and semantic features of the adjectives, functional semantic peculiarities of linking components in the structure of the compound nominal predicate; the method of functional analysis was used to single out primary and secondary formal-syntactic functions of adjectives, etc.

Results. By semantic content twenty two groups have been distinguished, among which there are adjectives to denote emotional psychic condition of a person, their will, temper, physical and physiological features, inclination to some action or state, temperament, character, moral ethical features, spiritual world, intellectual capabilities, age, marital status, material prosperity, appearance features, some other features of a person, as well as physical, functional and structural properties of objects, temporal characteristics, parametric values, colour scheme, belonging to someone, etc. Primary and secondary formal-syntactic functions of the adjectives on the basis of their semantic potential have been characterized.

Originality. The originality of our research is conditioned by the fact that semantic peculiarities of the adjectives used in the novels “Heather Honeys” and “Live until Spring” by Nadiia Humeniuk have been studied in detail for the first time in Ukrainian linguistics. On the basis of their semantic potential their primary and secondary formal-syntactic positions in the sentence structure have been analysed.

Conclusion. In the novels analysed there is a semantic variety of adjectives which have been mainly identified in primary attributive formal-syntactic position. A small number of adjectives have primary predicate and secondary attribute formal-syntactic position, indicating their transposition from the proper adjective into proper  verb functioning.