Adjective ‘Sudden’ in Phrases as a Means of Temporal Mitigation in English Fantasy Literature

This study explores the semantics of the temporal mitigation indicator, specifically the adjective ‘sudden,’ as a form of litotes in English-language fantasy prose from the 20th to 21st centuries. The aim of this research is to identify English phrases containing the adjective ‘sudden’ that serve as litotes in the representation of time, which are frequently employed in the specified texts. The methods utilized include semantic analysis, contextual analysis, and comparative analysis. The findings reveal a list of phrases actively used by various authors within the realm of 20th and 21st-century English-language fantasy prose that reflect a high degree of temporal mitigation within this genre. An analysis of selected fantasy texts indicates the presence of collocations featuring ‘sudden’ that are not documented in collocation dictionaries. A ranked list of these phrases, along with their respective authors, has been compiled. The examination of collocations expressing temporal mitigation shows that some are utilized by multiple authors, such as “the sudden darkness,” “sudden anxiety,” and “a sudden thought.” This suggests their stability, indicating that they could enhance existing collocation dictionaries of the English language. The practical significance of this study lies in its potential application in teaching courses on lexicology and lexicography of the English language at the university level.