Translation of German anthroponyms in a novel “Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt” (Book 1) by Dieter Noll: linguistic and cultural aspect

Abstract

The article considers the translation of German anthroponyms in a literary text, taking into account the achievements of modern linguistic and cultural studies. The research is based on the theory of precedent and the following research methods: etymological, word-formation analysis, lexical-semantic analysis, analysis of dictionary definitions, linguistic and stylistic analyses etc. To achieve the purpose of scientific research, such an algorithm of actions is applied: 1) establishment of precedent phenomena and surnames, determination of the association to which they appeal; 2) analysis of the method of transferring German surnames in the Ukrainian translation; 3) identification of translation decisions. The study was based on 190 surnames of characters from Dieter Noll’s novel “Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt” (Book 1). The system of surnames of the novel is divided into two groups: precedent and fictional. Precedent onyms denote famous writers, philosophers, generals and others. Fictitious onyms are divided into German surnames, foreign surnames and author’s surnames. German surnames are of German origin. The second group singles out surnames of Slavic origin. Author’s surnames are characterized by a certain connotation and influence on the reader. The reproduction of German surnames in the Ukrainian translation takes place by means of transcription and transliteration.