The dissertation is devoted to a comprehensive study of nicknames as a component of the onomastic system of the Ukrainian language, focusing on their structural-semantic and functional-pragmatic parameters. The relevance of the research is determined by the rapid development of Internet communication, the growing role of virtual names in identification, self-presentation, and the construction of web identity, as well as the lack of an integrated linguistic description of nicknames in Ukrainian linguistics.
The study clarifies and systematizes the conceptual and terminological framework related to virtual naming and substantiates the definition of a nickname as a multifunctional onym functioning exclusively in the digital environment. The distinguishing features of nicknames are identified, and their differences from related onomastic units such as pseudonyms, sobriquets, login names, and cryptonyms are established.
Based on extensive empirical material collected from social networks and online platforms, a typology of nicknames is developed according to lexical-semantic, structural, word-formation, morphological, and syntactic criteria. The main models of mono- and polycomponent nicknames, their graphic representation, and derivational mechanisms are described. It is proven that nicknames are semantically indivisible units, and any modification leads to the emergence of a new virtual name.
Special attention is paid to the pragmatic potential of nicknames in the context of virtual linguistic personality formation. The motives and intentions behind the creation and selection of network names are analyzed, as well as their correlation with users’ needs and the specifics of digital communicative spaces. The study demonstrates that the functional-pragmatic load of nicknames varies depending on the platform and socio-cultural conditions of their use.
Key words: nickname, virtual name, network name, onomastics, semantics, structure, functional-pragmatic parameters, Internet communication.
