The dissertation examines the axiological potential of interjections and modal words in the artistic
and journalistic discourses of the modern Ukrainian language. The work combines pragmatic,
lingual-axiological, and functional approaches to studying these discourse units, which has allowed
for identifying their key role in forming evaluative meanings in communication processes.
The research is conducted within the current scientific paradigm that encompasses the issues
of discourse studies and lingual axiology, considering the pragmatic potential of interjections and
modal words. These issues, particularly those related to their functioning, have been addressed in
several studies based on Ukrainian and other languages (F. Batsevych, O. Kaptiurova,
L. Kovbasiuk, T. Kosmeda, N. Kostusiak, O. Maliarchuk, L. Matsko, Yu. Nevska, O. Oleksenko,
V. Slipetska, V. Sukhomlyn, M. Tykhonenko, O. Khaliman, et al.). However, the complex issues of
pragmatics and the axiological potential of interjections and modal words in artistic and journalistic
discourses have not been comprehensively explored.
The scientific novelty of the dissertation lies in the first comprehensive study of the
axiological capacity of interjections and modal words in the modern Ukrainian language within
certain discourses. The work also highlights the socio-political contexts of their usage, particularly
during the Russia-Ukrainian and information wars, which adds relevance to the research in today’s
information space.
In the first chapter, the methodological foundations of the research are examined, and the
terminology related to discourse and discourse words is defined. The categorical characteristics and
functions of these words, which ensure discourse cohesion and modality, are analyzed. It is
emphasized that multi-categoricity and polyfunctionality are universal characteristics inherent to all
discourse words. It has been established that the communicative-pragmatic and emotionally
evaluative functions of discourse words hold the most significant communicative potential across
various discourse situations. The linguistic status of the evaluative category in the Ukrainian
language and its evolution, structure, classifications, functions, and interaction with other linguistic
categories are explored. The study outlines the stages in the development of the concept
of evaluation, tracing its roots to ancient times. It is concluded that, with each phase of historical
development, the concept of evaluation has gradually evolved and transformed. The problems
related to defining the grammatical status of interjections and modal words are discussed, and their
classification as discourse units is justified.
The second chapter focuses on the speech potential of primary interjections from the
perspective of axiological pragmalinguistics and discourse studies. Their evaluative functions in the
artistic and journalistic discourses of the Ukrainian language are explored. Analyzing these units
emotional and evaluative potential requires consideration of additional axiological factors, such as
intonation, non-verbal communication (e.g., facial expressions, gestures), other evaluatively marked
linguistic elements, and the overall context of the communicative situation. It has been confirmed
that negative evaluations prevail over positive ones. This phenomenon can be explained by
cognitive and psychological factors of human perception and the dominance of negative tonality on
the axiological scale.
The study identifies the polyfunctionality of most primary interjections, which indicates
their universality across different discourses, unlike univocal units. The analysis revealed that some
interjections can shift their evaluative meaning, leading to new semantic variants not reflected in
modern Ukrainian dictionaries. Furthermore, in journalistic discourse, particularly in media
headlines and Telegram channels, primary interjections are frequently used to express various
emotional states and create an emotionally charged atmosphere for readers. It is noted that headlines
containing primary interjections tend to be longer and are presented as asyndetic sentences with
explanatory parts connected by a colon.
The third part investigates the evaluative potential of secondary interjections in artistic texts
and journalistic styles. The study analyzes interjections derived from nouns, verbs, adverbs, and
borrowed words used as evaluative markers. Noun-based interjections and Anglicisms are the most
productive, while verb- and adverb-based interjections are less common. The latter are traditional
for Ukrainian speech; however, they also demonstrate an ability to renew their functions in modern
communication using a lingual-axiological approach.
