Svyetocheva S. German gods: semantic and functional aspects (on the material of ancient English texts and "Poetic Edda").

This dissertation focuses on the semantic and functional peculiarities of the Germanic theonyms. The study was conducted on the material of ancient Edda and other Germanic and Scandinavian texts. The comprehensive etymological, semantic and functional analysis of the Germanic and Scandinavian theonyms with the help of different methods and technologies was carried out, special attention being paid to the systematic approach to the investigation. Theonyms were regarded as elements of the lexico-semantic group having their own systematic peculiarities including synonymic relations. The study shows that the ancient Germanic theonyms have a very broad associative-semantic field, which is reflected in the corresponding set of semantic features, which make up a specific semantic portrait of the gods, the indicators of social role predominating. Nevertheless, some semantic features testify to the anthropomorphic image of the gods mentioned. The in-depth investigation of the functional aspect shows that the vast number of Germanic theonyms perform not only a nominative-identifying, but also a characterological function, which makes them multifaceted lexical units. Analysis of a large number of myths of "Poetic Edda" and the ancient English texts led to important conclusions concerning not only semantic and functional aspects of the theonyms under discussion, but also their etymology.