ФЕМІНАТИВНА СИСТЕМА УКРАЇНСЬКОЇ ТА СЛОВАЦЬКОЇ МОВ У ЗІСТАВНОМУ ВИСВІТЛЕННІ

This study is an attempt to characterize the system of word-formative nomination of a woman in the Ukrainian language against the background of another Slavic language - Slovak. The development of the feminine system of the studied languages is considered in the diachronic aspect. Linguistic and extralinguistic factors that have influenced the formation of modern feminine systems of the studied languages are described. The focus is on the problem of regularity and sequence of creation and functioning of female personal names in them. Both languages bear the hallmarks of a post-patriarchal society, manifested in the use of generic masculinities to denote persons regardless of gender, in the general tendency to form feminatives that are predominantly derived from male generic names. While the tradition of identifying a woman by a separate name with an indication of gender is common to all Slavic languages as languages with a pronounced grammatical category of gender, the tendency to create femininities in Slovak and Ukrainian has its own specifics. The Ukrainian language, which was formed on the basis of vernacular and has been influenced by foreign languages throughout its development, does not show a clear sequence in the production of feminatives. Instead, the Slovak language has been strongly influenced by the Czech language, absorbing the Old
Bohemian book tradition with a clear distinction of word-forming feminized names by sex.