Ways of Epithetion in Adyghe Historical-Epic Poetry

The subject of the research is the peculiarities of the functioning of the epithet in Circassian historical-heroic epic. The main goal of this study is to examine the phenomenon of the epithet: to analyze the affixational method of epithetization in Circassian historical-heroic epic. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to address the following tasks: - to analyze the degree of scientific development of the topic and to record the current state of its study; - to thoroughly examine the peculiarities of the application of this trope in the material of Circassian historical-heroic epic; - to identify the main types of affixational epithets found in the monuments of Circassian historical-heroic narrative; - to determine the place and significance of the epithet among other means of artistic imagery, to indicate its influence on the formation of the conceptual appearance of works of folk literature; - to characterize the content, specificity of use, and frequency of occurrence of this trope. To solve the above tasks, the following research methods were used: - analysis of literature on the subject; - method of complete sampling; - semantic-stylistic analysis of the epithet; - description of the peculiarities of the functioning of affixational epithets in historical-heroic epic. The relevance of the study is due to the need for a comprehensive study of the aesthetic features of the language of Circassian folklore tradition using modern scientific methods. Currently, there are monographs dedicated to the holistic description of the artistic language system or specific mechanisms of constructing prose and poetic texts. Existing works are predominantly focused on the linguistic aspect (e.g., studies by M.A. and Z.Yu. Kumakhov) or consider the epithet only within the framework of specific genre directions. The novelty of this article lies in the detailed analysis of one of the most significant artistic techniques – the epithet – taking into account the wide genre palette of oral folk creativity. This approach allows for the identification of regularities in the functioning and transformation of expressiveness in the context of the thematic and structural diversity of Circassian folklore.