Ukrainian Autosemantic Nouns in Landscape Descriptions of Nature as a Parameter of Fictional Prose and Authors' Speech

Abstract

The research presented in this article is based on a scientifically grounded linguistic concept developed by Ukrainian scholars. This concept involves dividing words into content (full-meaning) and function (non-full-meaning) classes. It also considers the essential characteristics of full-meaning lexical units that denote objects. These characteristics are examined within the interlevel linguistic category of autosemantism versus synsemantism of the full-meaning word. This study aims to deepen the theoretical understanding of the semantic, functional, and quantitative properties of Ukrainian lexical units in artistic discourse, focusing on their stylistic and text-forming potential. Modern Ukrainian linguistics has actively explored the correlation between the semantic autonomy and grammatical dependence of lexical units. However, the interaction between autosemantic and synsemantic words in artistic prose, particularly in landscape descriptions of nature, remains understudied. Thus, the research aims to combine traditional qualitative linguistic analysis with quantitative-statistical methods to identify the structural and stylistic parameters of authorial speech. Purpose and objectives. This article aims to analyze the nature and functional characteristics of autosemantic nouns that denote natural objects within landscape descriptions in Ukrainian literary prose. The objectives include: (1) defining key terminological concepts and clarifying their interpretation in scientific discourse, (2) examining the linguistic realization of the autosemantic/synsemantic category in artistic prose, (3) applying mathematical and quantitative linguistic analysis to verify the statistical distribution of autosemantic nouns, and (4) identifying how these lexical units contribute to the stylistic individuality of Ukrainian prose. Methodology. This study uses a combination of structural-semantic, stylistic, and quantitative methods. Complete fragments of landscape descriptions were extracted through continuous sampling from selected works of Ukrainian fiction. Each fragment was analyzed based on the frequency and distribution of autosemantic nouns that name natural objects. The author also provides a brief description of the statistical procedure used, which is considered a part of quantitative linguistics and is employed to evaluate the stylistic and text-forming properties of the analyzed units. Results. The analysis revealed that autosemantic nouns functioning as denotations of natural objects (flora and fauna) form the core of the lexical-semantic field of landscape imagery in Ukrainian prose. These nouns demonstrate strong stylistic potential and contribute to the uniqueness and national specificity of artistic landscapes. Illustrative examples from Ukrainian authors demonstrate that these lexical units reflect not only the natural environment, but also the emotional and conceptual worldview of the writer. Including quantitative parameters allowed us to identify proportional correlations between the number of autosemantic nouns and the density of descriptive imagery. These correlations are significant markers of an author's style. Conclusions. The conducted research deepens the conceptual foundations of studying the Ukrainian word through the integration of qualitative and quantitative indicators. It confirms that the analysis of autosemantic denotative nouns in the proposed aspect has considerable theoretical and practical value, enriching our understanding of their linguistic essence, regularities of formation and functioning, and their role in reflecting the relationship between language and thought. The findings also expand the theoretical framework for describing the stylistic and authorial parameters of language use in Ukrainian artistic discourse, especially in the prose variant of landscape depiction.