GENERATION OF METONYMIC PROPER NAME IN THE EPIC DISCOURSE

Abstract

Materials for the research are the epic texts of the Khakass culture. The object of the article is proper names and descriptions of the epic discourse. Proper names are regarded as definite descriptions that may be able to identify an individual referent and to function as proper names in discourse. The interpretation of proper names as descriptions is based on the linguistic and logic researches presented in the works by N. D. Arutyunova; E. V. Paducheva; A. D. Shmelev; B. Russell; G. Frege; S. Kripke etc. One of the types of epic proper names is metonymic nomination. The aim of the following research is to describe the mechanism of formation of metonymic names as one of the types of epic anthroponyms. The analysis of metonymic nomination demonstrates the transition of a predicate description (related to any objects in general and denoted attributes) to the actantial position. In this syntactic context the appellative gets the definite reference and the aptitude to identify an individual referent. Conversion of indefinite characterizing predicate description into definite description is claimed to be the central mechanism of generation of metonymic proper names. It must be emphasized that this type of nomination demonstrates the dialectic interrelation of two types of names (appellative and proper name) and two types of descriptions (indefinite and definite).