Functional and semantic features of adjectival forms in Anton Chekhov’s novella “The steppe”

The article analyzes the functions of adjectival forms in the novella “The Steppe” by Anton Chekhov, taking into account their semantic, stylistic, and linguocultural features. We examine the main pathways of semantic transformations of the adjectives, including various types of their metaphorical and metonymic reinterpretations. The aim of this study is to determine the text-forming functions of adjectives and their role in shaping the author’s idiolect (idiostyle). The research employs functional-semantic, contextual, and stylistic methods of analysis. The results reveal the multifaceted functions of the adjectives in Chekhov’s novella “The Steppe”: They perform nominative (denoting features of objects), expressive (conveying emotional states), constructive (participating in the formation of syntactic structures), and stylistic (shaping the artistic style of the author) functions. The adjectives in the novella contribute to the creation of a multilayered artistic whole, conveying atmosphere, mood, and the psychological state of the characters, while enhancing the perception of space, solitude, the dynamics of nature, and the cultural specifics of the region. The use of adjectives in Anton Chekhov’s “The Steppe” plays a decisive role in forming the expressive and artistic quality of the narrative, facilitating the reconstruction of the characters’ emotional depth and the details of the setting. Chekhov’s stylistic use of descriptive linguistic means serves not only to depict the physical characteristics of the steppe, but also to reflect the emotional states of the characters.