Linguistic and Cultural Specifics of Rendering English Occasional Words into Ukrainian

The article investigates the linguistic and cultural specifics of rendering English occasional words (authorial neologisms) into Ukrainian, using Suzanne Collins’ dystopian novel The Hunger Games as the primary material. Occasionalisms in the novel play a crucial role in constructing the fictional world of Panem, reflecting its political structures, social hierarchy, mythology, and value system.

The study examines key translation strategies applied to politically and socially marked units, character names, and toponyms. Examples include Capitol rendered as «Капітолій» (preserving solemnity and historical associations), Peacekeepers translated as «Миротворці» (retaining ironic contrast between form and repressive content), the protagonist’s name Katniss (kept unchanged with a translator’s explanatory note about the plant), and the toponym the Seam rendered as «Скиба» (emphasizing marginality and rural labor).

The analysis demonstrates that successful translation requires not only semantic accuracy but also the preservation of stylistic, symbolic, and cultural connotations. The translator must balance literal rendering with functional adaptation to maintain the dystopian atmosphere, social stratification, and authorial intent for the Ukrainian reader. The study confirms that occasional words function as cultural codes, and their adequate reproduction enables the target audience to perceive the artistic world of Panem in a manner close to that of the English-speaking reader.