Ivan Nechuy-Levytskyj – cultural, etnographer, writer

Liudmyla Mialkovska
Ph.D. in Philology, assistant professor in the Department of Ukrainian and Foreign Philology, Lutsk National Technical University
75 Lvivska St., Lutsk 43018, Ukraine
Е-mail: l.myalkovska@lutsk-ntu.com.ua

Heading: Researches
Language: Ukrainian

Abstract: The author proposes a new understanding of linguistic personality of I. Nechuy-Levytskjy as an expert in Ukrainian and human culture, an ethnographer scientist, an interpreter of the Holy Scripture and as a great master of artistic words. In view of this, the characteristics of the historical period, the cultural and social space that had an impact on the formation of the writer’s literary work were presented.

On the basis of the analysis of I. Nechuy-Levytskyj’s ethnographic and folklore intelligence «Ukrainian people worldview», the author highlights the writer’s attention to the image of the features of Ukrainian culture, the national character of Ukrainians, their customs and rituals; the writer presents the ancient Ukrainian culture not only through the description of the pantheon of deities and cosmogonic myths, but also through the characteristic of festive rituals. It is underlined that the writer describes the national traits of Ukrainians, the peculiarity of their mentality, national humor in the ethnographic study «Ukrainian humorists and scholars. Ethnographic Patterns and Types» as well.

In the examined writer’s literary texts the significant ethnographic information, indicating his awareness of the beliefs, religious traditions of Ukrainians, is revealed. The descriptions of such traditions show a stylistic role of artistic details that diversify the tone of the artistic narrative. At the same time, the explored artistic texts contain distinct descriptions of psycho-types of characters, subtle and accurate characteristics of Ukrainians on a socio-cultural basis. The article captures the synonymous richness of I. Nechuy-Levytskyj’s language as a feature of his individual style, which is manifested, in particular, in concretely sensual images to refer to the general concept of ‘speak, talk’.

The author concludes that the language creation of I. Nechuy-Levytskyj is a convincing proof of the existence of original Ukrainian literature and  language that was creating  this literature and was an expressive means of self-identification of the nation.

Keywords: linguistic identity of I. Nechuy-Levytskyj, writer’s literary works, ethnographic information, specific sensory image, history of Ukrainian literary language.

LEGEND

Н.-Лев. І – Nechuy-Levytskyj, I.S. (1965). Works in 10 volumes. Kyiv. Vol. 1 (in Ukr.).

Н.-Лев. ІІ – Nechuy-Levytskyj, I.S. (1965). Works in 10 volumes. Kyiv. Vol. 2 (in Ukr.).

Н.-Лев. ІІІ – Nechuy-Levytskyj, I.S. (1965). Works in 10 volumes. Kyiv. Vol. 3 (in Ukr.).

Н.-Лев. V – Nechuy-Levytskyj, I.S. (1966). Works in 10 volumes. Kyiv. Vol. 5 (in Ukr.).

Н.-Лев. VІ – Nechuy-Levytskyj, I.S. (1966). Works in 10 volumes. Kyiv. Vol. 6 (in Ukr.).

Н.-Лев. VІІІ – Nechuy-Levytskyj, I.S. (1967). Works in 10 volumes. Kyiv. Vol. 8 (in Ukr.).

Н.-Лев. Х – Nechuy-Levytskyj, I.S. (1968). Works in 10 volumes. Kyiv. Vol. 10 (in Ukr.).

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