THE USE OF ANTONOMASIA IN ENGLISH LITERATURE

Аннотация

This article explores the semantic and stylistic functions of meaningful proper names in English literature, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of antonomasia. Drawing on a wide range of literary and linguistic sources, the study examines the ways in which character names, imbued with internal form and symbolic value, contribute to the construction of meaning, characterization,and narrativetoneacross various historical periods. Key words: Proper nouns; antonomasia; stylistics; character naming; English literature; meaningful names; figurative language; onomastics; literary semantics; fictional names; self- interpreting names; semantic function; symbolicnames. Proper names in literary works have long attracted the attention of scholars due to their deep semantic potential and stylistic versatility. In English literature, the phenomenon of meaningful character names—often serving as a reflection of personality, social role, or moral quality—has become a distinctive device employed by authors to enhance characterization and narrative depth. One ofthe most expressive manifestations of this phenomenon is antonomasia— a stylistic device rooted in classical rhetoric that involves the substitution of a proper name for a common noun or vice versa. Despite its rich historical presence in literary tradition, antonomasia remains insufficiently explored in modern stylistics as a standalone trope. This article seeks to fill that gap by examining the role of meaningful names and the stylistic function of antonomasia in English literature. Drawing on the works of authors such as Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Richard Sheridan, and Walter Scott, as well as foundational linguistic and literary studies, this paper highlights how character names function not merely as identifiers but as vehicles for thematicexpression, satire, and cultural allusion. The main task of E. Hope Gordon’s book “The Naming of characters in the works by Ch. Dickens” is to analyze the names of famous people in Dickens’s works [1]. Based on careful observations, the author identifies the initial words that form the name and draws conclusions about the role that the name plays in the characteristics of the characters. So, for example, the name of the colonel’s guest, Ralph Nickleby, in the author’s opinion, warns the reader that the owner of the name is an unscrupulous person, since the verb to hoax means “to cheat or to swindle”. The booknotes cases of deviations from orthographic norms when the author deliberately distorts the graphic appearance of the word from which the surname is formed. For example, Scrooge has a name that corresponds to his character, and although the spelling of the name differs slightly from the original word scrouge, meaning “to crowd or press”, the name nevertheless clearly corresponds to this, to the word that already existed in use. The book distinguishes three types of names used in Dickens's works: 1) neutral names; 2) figurative names; 3) grotesque names. The large number of figurative names that directly indicate the character of the hero is explained by the influence of Smollett and Goldsmith on Dickens's work. The group of grotesque names that produce a humorous effect includes neutral surnames of the http://www.internationaljournal.co.in/index.php/jasass 292 Volume15 Issue 08, August 2025 Impact factor: 2019: 4.679 2020: 5.015 2021: 5.436, 2022: 5.242, 2023: 6.995, 2024 7.75 type Boffin and Wilfer, to which the names Nicodimus and Reginald are added. The rich illustrativematerial in thework is ofgreat interest. K. Malone's article “Meaningful Fictive Names in English Literature”, which is historically and literary in nature, provides an overview of English fiction in which fictitious names are used [2]. Examples are arranged chronologically, starting with the English poem Widsith, written in the 17th century. The author notes the abstract nature of names in Chaucer's works and medieval drama. For example: Youth, Flattery, Delight, Patience, etc. At the same time, as the author shows, one of the oldest types of fictitious names appears - a name indicating thecharacter's profession, social status, etc. As an exampleof classical drama ofthe 16th century, he cites the plays of Lily. Names were based on Greek and Latin words at that time, so understanding the invented names required knowledge of Greek and Latin. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Italian names supplanted Greek names, which gave way to French names in the 17thcentury. The 18th century is noted by the author with Sheridan's essay "School for scandal". In the article, the characteristics of some characters are given by their names. For example: Lady Sneerwell,- how good she is at sneering; Mr. Snake has the bad qualities associated with that reptile. SirPeter Teazle has a name that fits him well enough. The teazle is a plant "the heads of which have hooked prickles between the flowers and are used for teazing cloth", that is for combing its su