SPECIFIC FEATURES OF THE ETHNONYM MOSKAL IN THE UKRAINIAN INTERNET SEGMENT

Abstract

Words used to identify ethnic groups, nationalities, or nations are called ethnonyms. These terms come from different sources and represent various aspects of a particular group’s culture and history. Ethnonyms can affect how an ethnic group sees themselves and how others perceive them, as they often contain auto-stereotypes and reflect perceptions of other communities. These names are essential to the language of each group and help shape their worldview based on the linguistic community’s stereotypes. Stereotypes and associations related to ethnonyms are deeply rooted in society and culture. The effect of wartime experiences has significantly altered the stereotypes of the Ukrainian-speaking community, indicating their flexibility over time. This article discusses the evaluation concept in linguistics, which involves expressing one’s subjective attitude toward a particular topic in speech. Objective and subjective factors play a role in the evaluative activity, including elements like axiological predicates, motivation, classifiers, and intensifiers. Categorization is an essential aspect of human cognitive activity, as it allows us to organize knowledge into distinct categories based on similarities and differences between objects and phenomena. Each category is multifaceted and interdependent with others. The article applies these concepts to the analysis of the ethnonym “moskal” and its derivatives, which have negative connotations and emotional associations in the Ukrainian segment of the Internet. Using these terms in different contexts can elicit positive or negative reactions, which should be considered when analyzing their usage.