Diminutive Contronyms in Ukrainian

Abstract

In the paper, the phenomenon of diminutive contronymy in the Ukrainian language is investigated. Being a type of polysemy, the contronymy is assumed as a universal semantic category with peculiarities in expressive means and in pragmatic functioning across languages. Contronymy is a defining attribute of diminutives in numerous languages.The present paper highlights the main causes for the occurrence of opposite meanings in the semantic structure of Ukrainian diminutives and reveals the range of potential ‘positive’ / ‘negative’ connotative semes within a single diminutivized word.Axiological ambiguity of the concept ‘smallness’ is considered to be the main cause for the occurrence of diminutive contronymy. The phenomenon of contradictory meanings within the category of diminutiveness is explained first of all by the fact that the notion ‘smallness’ potentially may be regarded with endearment, affection, tenderness, etc., on the one hand, and with disrespect, derogation, depreciation, etc., on the other hand. Other factors of the occurrence of opposite meanings in the semantics of Ukrainian diminutives are determined as well: a) contextual pejorization or meliorization of the meaning of the diminutive, b) euphemization, c) social inconsistency in the assessment of an object marked with a certain diminutive, d) pragmatic goals of the addresser.The text-based analysis has testified that in the Ukrainian language, diminutives with usually positive connotations occasionally may undergo semantic changes depending on the context. Often enough, contextual contronymy of the noun is caused by the adjective.Diminutives denoting unfavourable, difficult, frightful objects and phenomena are considered as contronyms which are culture-specific for the Ukrainian language. In the paper, euphemization is regarded to be the main factor for the emergence of this type of contronyms.Both types of Ukrainian diminutive contronyms (with denotative semantic polarity ‘small’ / ‘large’ and with connotative semantic polarity ‘positive’ / ‘negative’) are analyzed in the work, drawing on Ukrainian literary texts. The pragmatics of diminutive contronymy in the Ukrainian language is outlined as well. The pragmatic use of diminutive contronyms is connected with the expression of positive or negative attitudes, mitigating, irony, sarcasm, etc.The study has manifested that the phenomenon of contronymy in the Ukrainian language is observed not only in the semantics of diminutivized nouns but also in diminutivized adjectives and, consequently, in diminutivized adverbs as well. The contronymy of the diminutivized adjectives and adverbs relates to formal means (simple or cumulated suffixes and reduplication) and is identified as a potential to express both decreasing and increasing in the gradation of quality.