Pseudo-Andronyms and Pseudo-Gynonyms of Ukrainian authors from the 19th to the 21st Centuries: Methods of Creation, Quantitative and Comparative Analysis

Abstract

The aim of thе article is to examine the pseudo-andronyms and pseudo-gynonyms of Ukrainian authors from the 19th to the 21st centuries, and to analyse the methods of creation and the features of their use. To determine the prevalence of such pen names among Ukrainian authors and the frequency of their use, as well as to conduct a comparative analysis of these data for pseudo-andronyms and pseudo-gynonyms. The tasks of the study are to identify, within the corpus of Ukrainian pseudonyms collected in the book «Hidden Names: A Dictionary of Pseudonyms of Ukrainian Authors of the 19th–21st Centuries», pen names in which authors present themselves as persons of the opposite sex, to analyse the ways in which they are formed, to systematise them accordingly, to establish the features of their use, to calculate the frequency of such pseudonyms and their prevalence, and to compare these data. Research methods: systematic, analytical, descriptive, quantitative and comparative, which made it possible to select pseudo-andronyms and pseudo-gynonyms, systematise them, study the methods of their creation, determine their prevalence and frequency of use, and compare these data. The novelty of the article lies in the fact that the pseudo-andronyms and pseudo-gynonyms of Ukrainian authors are studied for the first time as separate groups, which are characterised by a number of features, in particular, regarding the methods of creation and use. Furthermore, for the first time, the frequency of use and prevalence of pseudo-andronyms and pseudo-gynonyms were calculated, and a comparative analysis of these data was carried out. Conclusions. It was established that among the pseudonyms of Ukrainian authors compiled in the book «Hidden Names: A Dictionary of Pseudonyms of Ukrainian Authors of the 19th–21st Centuries», there is a considerable number of pseudo-andronyms and pseudo-gynonyms. The methods of their creation were investigated, and they were classified into three groups accordingly: one-, two- and three-word pseudonyms – with pseudo-andronyms and pseudo-gynonyms treated separately. It was found that certain features of formation are characteristic of both these groups of pseudonyms, and are expressed in them approximately equally, that is, pseudo-andronyms and pseudo-gynonyms almost do not differ in terms of forms and methods of creation. Quantitative parameters were established: 99 pseudo-andronyms were used by 59 female authors, and 90 pseudogynyms were used by 54 male authors, respectively. Relative values were calculated and a comparative analysis of these data was carried out, on the basis of which it was found that the frequency of use of a pseudo-andronyms (6.13%) exceeds the frequency of use of a pseudo-gynonyms (0.4%) by approximately 15 times, and the number of female authors who had pseudo-andronyms (9.6%) exceeds the number of authors who used pseudo-gynonyms (0.96%) by approximately 10 times.