Peculiarities of artistic text onomasticon in the cycle of novels by S. Townsend about Adrian Mole
The present research aims at analyzing stylistic, motivational and functional peculiarities of secondary characters' anthroponymic nominations, retrieved from eight Adrian Mole Diary novels by a contemporary British author Sue Townsend (1946-2014). In this paper we consider non-motivated anthroponyms and cratylic names (charactonyms), which characterizing potential is revealed by means of their transparent inner form, commemorative or allusive nomination or motivational context. As a result, in the novels under analysis the function of «speaking» names is mainly performed by nicknames, while personal names and surnames are characterized by non-transparent inner form; however, interpretation of their motivation reveals the onomastic game between the author and the reader which is based on certain stylistic devices creating a humorous effect (pun on etymology, irony, hyper-hyponymic relations, commemorative nomination, allusion and convergence of these devices). Further on we dwelt upon non-motivated poetonyms and their functional potential as social and ethnic markers as well as markers of interpersonal relationships and social norms. As a result, we came to the conclusion that the humorous function plays a crucial part in determining the types of poetonyms in S. Townsend's Adrian Mole Diary series. Due to this function charactonyms, as well as non-motivated nominations, acquire the ability to transmit certain information about the name-bearer and attract contexts, disclosing and criticizing different aspects of contemporary British culture.