The role of titles in forming linguistic axiological features in English drama discourse

The article is devoted to studying the nominative paradigm of English drama from the standpoint of linguistic axiology as a mainstream scientific direction focusing on verbal representation of values and evaluation. The aim of the study is to determine the variable linguo-axiological status of titles in British and American drama discourse, with subsequent systematization, aimed at clarifying the format and the extent of their participation in the value-evaluation manifestation. The research material is an equally proportional corpus of modern British and American play titles with a total scope of 600 units. The method of linguo-axiological interpretation has been used as the key method, which implies value-evaluation parameterization of the discourse fragment while taking into account the characteristics of the broad discourse context. The research has recorded that titles contribute to the formation of linguistic axiological potential in English drama discourse. The classification of titles has been developed in accordance with the gradual nature of their value and evaluative marking. The article also presents the results of a comparative analysis of British and American drama titles, which help identify the zone of intersection of nationally marked linguoaxiospheres. The author concludes that with the help of titles the playwright can carry out both an explicit accentuation of value dominants and an implicit reference to them; some of the titles can act as a «linguo-axiological focus,» appealing to the recipients' background knowledge of the values relevant within a particular linguocultural community. The study proves the validity of linguoaxiological approach to the study of titles as significant structural blocks of English drama discourse, thus, opening up new prospects for further scientific investigation of the subject area.