Anthropotonymic structures in discourse

Abstract

English scientific discourse is characterized by a certain amount of anthropotoponymic structures. They include anthroponyms, eponyms and toponyms. The aim of the research is structural analysis of the above mentioned items. The theory of the issue covers such concepts as “anthroponym”, “anthroponomy”,1 “eponym”, “eponimy” and “toponym”. Antroponomy (from Greek “anthropos”– man and “onyma”– name) is a branch of onomastics, studying anthroponyms, patronyms, surnames, patronimics, nicknames, pseudonyms, cryptonyms and anthroponyms of the literary work.2 Myaskovskaya TV & Semina VV3 have proposed the following classification: personal name (the name given at the birth), patronymic name (the name after your father, grandfather and so on), surname (family name), nickname, pseudonym (individual and group), cryptonym (a hidden name), anthroponyms formed from ethnicons (the names of natios).2 It should be noticed that not all of the above mentioned types have been fixed in the discourse under study. This is explained by its chastity and officialism. “Name”, “surname”, “initials+surname”, “name+surname”, “name+numeral”, “name+middle name+surname” and “position (degree)+name (initials)+surname” have been discovered in the discourse. The works of Varnavskaya EV4, Minkova D & Stockwell R5 as well as of many others are devoted to the study of eponyms. According to Varnavskaya EV,4 eponimy is “a nomination of things and events after real and mythic characters widely used while nominating geographic features, rewards, film companies and industrial groups”.4 One more definition was provided by Minkova D & Stockwell R:5 “These are new words based on names (epi‘upon’ onym ‘name’)”.4