AFEKTONIMY JAKO PRZEDMIOT BADAŃ LINGWISTYCZNYCH
Affectionate names as the object of linguistic analysis

(on the basis of Wojciech Kossak’s letters to his wife)

Summary/Abstract: In this paper an attempt is made to examine affectionate names defined as substitute forms of proper names typical of private, romantic discourse. The study consists of two parts: The first section is dedicated to discussing and arranging research already done on affectionate language (terminology in use, definitions, affectionate names vs. „affectiva”, the grammar and stylistics of affectionate names, and thematic description). In the second part of the paper linguists’ approaches to affectionate names are verified empirically. The material under investigation is the collection of names used by Wojciech Kossak in his long-term (1883–1942) correspondence with his wife. The analysis confirms scholars’ outcomes in the field regarding: 1) the formal and stylistic differentiation of affectionate names, 2) the thematic fields typical of these language units, 3) and the dominance of appellative nicknames. The findings also indicate that the use of so-called terms of endearment depends on the context, giving the speaker some freedom as far as the choice of various language items is concerned. The author of the paper concludes that affectionate names seem to constitute an open set in which lines are blurred. In addition, it is mostly the competence of the participant of intimate communication that influences the form of affectionate names, so that they become typical or original.

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