The lexical originality of Leonid Engibarov’s prose (based on the book “The last round”)

Abstract

This article examines the lexical distinctiveness of Leonid Yengibarov’s prose as a key element of his unique idiostyle. The study aims to identify the specifics of the functioning of lexical means (professional circus terminology, jargon, metaphors, neologisms, archaisms) within the artistic system of the collection “The Last Round” and their role in creating the philosophical depth of the text. Special attention is paid to the mechanisms of semantic transformation of circus vocabulary into universal symbols (the ring as the “arena of life,” the reprise as an “episode of fate,” applause as the “daily bread” of recognition), which forms a unique poetics that synthesizes the documentary realism of circus life with existential generalizations. The novelty of the research lies in the comprehensive analysis of Yengibarov’s lexicon as a dynamic system, where a professional code is transformed into a philosophical language, reflecting the interaction of the artist’s personal experience with the historical context of the Soviet era. The work contributes to the theory of idiostyle and the study of the functioning of specialized vocabulary in literary texts, demonstrating how lexical uniqueness becomes a tool for constructing cultural codes and shaping reader perception.