Information on the thesis

This thesis is the first comprehensive research of geographical vocabulary in the
Ukrainian language of the XVI–XVIII centuries.
The work reveals the research history of geographical names and the principles
of  their  classification  in  Ukrainian  philology  (lexical,  lexical  and  terminological,
appealing and propriative), it gives the list of numerous terms for their denomination,
it  presents  the  thematic  approach  of  the  studying  of  vocabulary  and  structure-
semantic classification of the thematic group of geographical vocabulary “Names of
natural landscape objects” that contains four lexical-semantic groups, within which
lexical-semantic subgroups and partially lexical-semantic rows function. It gives the
concise survey of written monuments of the Ukrainian language of the XVI–XVIII
centuries  as  a  source  basis  for  the  thesis:  genre-stylistic  characteristic,  time  and
territory of writing.
On the basis of texts of the Ukrainian language of the XVI–XVIII centuries
totality of names of natural landscape objects was formed and the detailed analysis of
two structure-semantic formations was offered. These structure-semantic formations
are  the  most  numerous  and  have  complex  inner  structure:  lexical-semantic  group
“Generic names of natural landscape objects” and lexical-semantic group “Names of
forests” within lexical-semantic group “Names of natural landscape objects, related to
vegetation”. It is investigated the origin of every name, long history of its functioning
in  the  Ukrainian  language  of  previous  periods,  the  development  of  meaning  basis,
paradigmatic (hyper-hyponim in particular) syntagmatic connections, when possible,
parallels  from  other  Slavonic  languages  of  that  time  are  shown.  Word  forming
models are reproduced, the most productive affixes are determined. It is defined that
geographical  names  of  Old  Ukrainian  language  are  closely  connected  with  the
history, economic activity and culture of our ancestors. It is clarified that the group of
Ukrainian geographical vocabulary  of  the  XVI–XVIII  centuries  was the  developed
and  full  value  system.  The  majority  of  ancient  names  being  primitive  Slavonic  by
their origin (some of them are German and Hungarian words) actively functions in
the  modern  Ukrainian  language  and  have  high  frequency  usage  and  polysemy  in
dialects.
Key words: name of natural landscape object, thematic group, lexical-semantic
group,  lexical-semantic  row,  paradigmatic  and  syntagmatic  connections,  written
monuments.