Polydiscursivity of the Internet meme as a realization of its linguo-creative potential

Abstract

The Internet meme as a unit of information and semantic exchange, having a polycode structure and the status of a precedent text, has a high linguo-creative potential. The linguistic creativity of a meme is formed due to the mechanisms of indirectly derived nomination, which provides a multi-layered cognitive structure and is conditioned by the type and topic of discourse, which determines its wide demand and life cycle. The analysis of the array of Internet memes testifies to the stability of those units whose content plan is permanently relevant for users, corresponds to their cultural base. At the same time, according to the authors, it is the linguo-creative potential of the meme, the ability to change, that provides a long time cycle of its existence. In the article, based on representative material, possible directions of meme creative development are identified, including the expansion of the component composition of the original unit; replacement by another unit within the lexico-semantic group; actualization of evaluative or expressive components of its semantics. Memes with the dominance of the verbal part demonstrate great linguistic and creative potential, which leads to high variability in the selection of illustrations, the possibility of textual transformations. The text part in such memes freely participates in the contamination of memes, the creation of metamemes. Such memes can demonstrate great potential in generating new communicative units, going beyond meme accounts and Internet discourse. At the functional level, the linguo-creative potential is manifested in the use of memes in media headlines, in business account posts, in naming, advertising texts and TV products (including TV series). The authors come to the conclusion that anchoring in discourses of various types is also one of the key factors that allow a meme to remain in the information space for a long time.