SHERLOCK HOLMES’ IDIOLECT IN BRITISH TV SERIES “SHERLOCK” (BASED ON THE FIRST SEASON)

This articleillustrates stylistic and logical connections between character traits and language of the protagonist in the first season of an award-winning series "Sherlock" (2010).They are manifested in expressive means and stylistic devices on lexical and syntactic levels and form Sherlock's idiolect.The paper provides statistical data on number of times all features of his idiolect were employed in the first season.We differentiate between dominant and non-dominant features.The diagram given in the research represents dominant ones (incomplete and elliptical sentences and questions, informal style and anaphora are of major importance in mirroring detective's character traits).Furthermore, one can gain information about all non-dominant features (inversion, rhetorical questions and thoughts expressed aloud form the largest groups).The research also discloses demonstrative situations in which every stylistic device plays main role in result of interaction.One can observe Mr. Holmes' behavior in various social circles and his strategies of communication with all strata of society.His ironical remarks to investigators, techniques of manipulation towards colleagues and imperative mood towards John Watson are of particular interest.The article extends intellectual horizons of expressive means and stylistic devices in modern-day series and can serve as a basis while describing detective genre and its characters in media.Sherlock Holmes' idiolect described in results of the discussion forms understanding of metamodernism ideas behind cues in modern detective genre.Moreover, we have observed similarities in language common for metamodernism, Sherlock's idiolect and sociolect of his today's target audience.This substantiates that detective's and audience's patterns in career and leisure are interchangeable.Modern Mr. Holmes is sharply different from his original version.He lives in London that is rapidly changing.Hence follows, the detective has changed in order to find his own place in life in the heart of the city.The paper illustrates differences in character of original and metamodernist version.