Word-formation innovations as a means of satire in Viktor Pelevin’s works

Abstract

The article explores neologisms in Viktor Pelevin’s works as a tool for satire and philosophical deconstruction of post-Soviet reality. The relevance of the research is determined by the fact that word-formation innovations are a significant part of contemporary literary language, reflecting profound social, cultural and philosophical changes in society. In the modern era, where language plays a crucial role in shaping worldviews, the study of linguistic innovations holds particular importance. The aim of the study is to identify the main functions of neologisms in Pelevin’s texts, analyze their semantic structure, cultural symbolism and their role in creating an artistic space rich in interpretive possibilities. The article examines key aspects of the postmodernist approach, including the play with meanings and the deconstruction of traditional concepts. Special attention is paid to neologisms such as Evraikh, basurmanger, pusor and ayfak, which illustrate the criticism of globalization, technologization and cultural transformations. A comparison is conducted between Pelevin’s coinages, entries in Russian language dictionaries and specialized neologism dictionaries, confirming their uniqueness and originality. The findings demonstrate that Pelevin’s word-formation innovations not only enrich the literary language with new terms, but also serve as tools for deconstruction, defamiliarization and satirical critique of social processes. These conclusions are valuable for further studies of contemporary Russian literature, the philosophy of language, and sociolinguistics, as well as for analyzing the impact of language on the formation of modern cultural codes.