The dissertation is dedicated to the complex study of the English cinematic lexicon evolution in socio-cultural and linguo-synergetic aspects. The inventory of the component stock of the lexico-semantic field was carried out by means of lexicographic and encyclopedic analysis.
The field stratification of the respective vocabulary is worked out and the main socio-cultural factors of its enrichment within its evolution are defined. The English cinematic lexicon is formed by nuclear units represented by terms of the sphere which were formed on the basis of generally used words (the centre of the nucleus) being specialized in meaning. Professionalisms i.e. informal equivalents of terms constitute the central part of near periphery. The distant part of it is variedly represented by slangisms and jargonisms which differ in the sphere of usage, where jargonisms are sociolect lexical units used in a certain professional sphere and slangisms are widely used in every-day speech of different social groups regardless of their profession/status. The far periphery is contrasted to the near one by the temporal marker that stands for frequency of lexical unitsʼ usage and illustrates the process of their archaization. Within the English cinematic lexicon it is constituted by historic words which name the realis that have already come out of usage and thus lost their relevance.
According to socio-cultural criteria the history of the English cinematic lexicon is roughly divided into four main periods which illustrate technical progress of the society being reflected in the English language: silent era, black-and-white sound film, film in color and digital cinema. To the main spheres of socio-cultural factorsʼ influence within the English cinematic lexicon belong technical equipment, acting, genres, social distribution. The appliance of socio-linguistic methodology enabled observing vocabulary formation and evolution at different lexical levels – terms, professionalisms, jargonisms and slangisms.
The evolution and self-organization of the English cinematographic lexicon is actualized due to the main synergetic principles: hierarchy, openness, nonlinear nature and non-balanced state. The hierarchy of the lexicon is revealed through the ability to be the part of a bigger and more complex system as well as the potential to build up smaller systems according to the same pattern. The open nature of complex system occurs in its ability to share information, energy and matter. The cinematographic lexicon is an open and dynamic system that exchanges lexical material with other languages and the English sub-lexicons of the following spheres: photography, theatre, acoustics, optics, distribution, business, media, computer technologies and thus constantly enriches its stock. The migration of elements from one system to another is possible due to the processes of terminologization, determinologization, reterminologization and transterminologization, where the latter prevails in the English lexical system of cinematic sphere.
The systemʼs homeostasis means its relative stability under perpetual inner development. The stability of the system is a temporary state that is followed by a non-balanced one as the result of various factorsʼ influence. In its non-balanced state the system gains the bifurcation point that enables a multiple choice of the systemʼs development. All the changes are nonlinear by their nature and thus difficult to predict because of the heterogeneous status of system elements and ways of their evolution. Dissipativity is also a peculiar feature of the language system that implies diffusion of energy, matter and information at some periphery fields of the system. Due to that lexical system self-regulates and prevents overloading or lack of its expression means.
All the lexical units within a complex system self-regulate by means of word-building processes: compounding, affixation, contraction (clipping, abbreviation, blending), semantic derivation and conversion. Compounding and abbreviation are the most productive ways of term formation whereas blending and semantic derivation are dominant means of periphery lexical unitsʼ coinage.
