The peculiarities of play of words formation as a stylistic device

Abstract

The article deals with a systematic analysis-based inquiry into the formation of such stylistic device as play of words and with classifications according to different characteristics; the main approaches to the definition of this notion in the English language are outlined. It is determined that, in fact, there are various approaches to the definition as for the essence of this notion.Having analyzed in details, we may state, that, wordplay, or pun, or play of words, or playing on words is the type of language use (set expression, phraseological unit), stylistic expression or miniature created by a certain speaker as a means of a humorous effect, words which coincide in speaking or close to it, but they have different meanings, or one and the same word has different meanings. It is also important to highlight that there is no generally accepted definition to this notion in spite of numerous works. The principles of a wordplay classification are given and it is pointed out that scientists, whose works have been under investigation, analyzed a wordplay according to various language peculiarities, realized the typology of this phenomenon due to different linguistic characteristics, namely: in accordance with the play of words linguistic features (the melody of words, word changes); with the play of words internal structure (those, which are based on phonetic, lexical and phraseological basis); play of words functioning from the lexical point of view (polysemantic words or homonyms, or on the basis of other lexical categories – antonyms, etymology, or constituents of words play – roots or affixes); in accordance with its structure (two language units similar or close in speaking but different in their meanings, substitution of a word which resemble the other); and the ways of formation (the split of an idiom or set expression, the play of figures, phonetic splitting, partial substitution of words in idiom without changing its formal structure, and even it is possible to substitute the idiom with the non-existing words in speech. Close investigations of word playing types, formation and general characteristics are essential in fiction study because they are meant for better understanding and they give the text special stylistic effect.