ANTHROPOMORPHIC PERIPHERY AS AN ACTIVITY ZONE OF LINGUISTIC FASHION
Fashion influences various spheres of human life and activity. Proper names mirror social processes, register social changes, and are greatly influenced by fashion. The paper treats peripheral anthroponyms, specific pseudonyms and nicknames from the point of view of their fashionability, a concept developed by a sociologist A.B. Gofman, who maintains that a fashionable object should be modern, universal, prominent, and playful. The analysis of scenic pseudonyms shows that in the Post-Soviet period the models of pseudonym formation have acquired a greater variety. A pseudonym can be represented by a hypocoristic form of a personal name, a rare name, a precedent name, or an onymous appellation. Some scenic pseudonyms are abbreviated, which is not usually typical of anthroponyms. Some nicknames are formed with the help of combinations of uppercase and lowercase letters, combinations of letters and figures or other signs. Freedom and anonymity granted by the virtual reality account for the fact that virtual nicknames are playful. The article focuses on fashionable tendencies of scenic pseudonyms and nicknames formation.