LEXICAL FEATURES OF COMPLIMENT EXPRESSIONS IN ENGLISH LITERARY WORKS

Abstract

This thesis explores the lexical features of compliment expressions in English literary works and examines their semantic, pragmatic, and stylistic functions within literary discourse. Compliments are an essential part of evaluative language, reflecting positive judgment, emotional attitude, and interpersonal relationships between characters. In literary texts, they serve not only as a communicative tool but also as a means of character development and narrative enrichment. The research is based on the analysis of selected English literary works and focuses on identifying the most frequent lexical units used in compliment constructions. The findings show that positive evaluative adjectives constitute the core of compliment expressions. Lexemes such as beautiful, kind, intelligent, charming, and wonderful are among the most recurrent units in literary dialogues and descriptions. Statistical observation suggests that approximately 60% of compliment expressions are built around positive adjectives, while intensifiers such as very, so, extremely, and truly appear in nearly 20–25% of cases to enhance emotional force.

In addition, the study reveals that compliment expressions in literary discourse are not always explicit. Authors often employ metaphorical, indirect, and context-dependent lexical choices to convey admiration and approval. Such linguistic strategies contribute to a more natural representation of speech and help reflect social norms of politeness and emotional expression in English-speaking culture. The results indicate that compliment expressions in English literature function both as lexical units and stylistic devices, playing a significant role in shaping dialogue, revealing character relationships, and enhancing the expressive power of the text.