Linguistic Categories Research Articles

Modální sémantika v ukrajinsko-českých překladech

The author of the article analyzes two important linguistic categories of modality and emotionality, which at a certain semantic level intersect and complement each other. This confirms the theory of a functional approach to the study of linguistic means, according to which linguistic means in a certain language context have the potential to express both the category of modality and the category of emotionality. The specifi c material for this research is the comparison of texts in the original language and the translated language. Based on the research, the author singled out and classified the linguistic modal level of diff erent parts of sentences. Examples from works of Czech and Ukrainian fiction and their translations are included in the analysis. In addition to the descriptive and comparative-typological methods, the author refers to the sources of translation theorists, in particular to the theory of Jiří Levý, who created a methodology for evaluating the quality of a translated text in relation to the original.

EXPLORING LANGUAGE INTERFERENCES: SLOVAK LEARNERS OF SPANISH AND THE CHALLENGES IN PAST TENSE USAGE

Different linguistic classifications of Spanish and Slovak make the differences between these two languages. The genetic criterion classifies languages, clustering them into language families, the largest among which is the Indoeuropean one. The typological criterion divides languages according to their grammatical structures. Meanwhile, Slovak is genetically a Slavonic language, and Spanish is a Romance language. Therefore, they both belong to different language families. Also, according to the typological criterion, Slovak is a synthetic language, and Spanish is an analytic language. Based on a theoretical study of the standard features and differences between the Slovak and Spanish verb systems, we formulated the hypotheses about language interferences, which are accepted or rejected at the end of the research. The current research aims to examine the errors in the use of past tenses by Slovak university students who study Spanish as a foreign language, and then analyze where these errors are due to interference with their native language. The present paper observes what errors students make in using past tenses in Spanish. The research question is: What interferences do Slovak learners of the Spanish language experience in the use of past tenses? We applied scientific methods (an observation, a textual analysis, a synthesis) to conduct the study. The first method was an observation. Applying this method made it possible to gather data by watching the process of doing grammatical exercises in Spanish during classes held from September 2020 to May 2022 for the first- and second-year students at the Faculty of Applied Languages of the University of Economics in Bratislava. These students knew English and were generally better at it than Spanish. We also conducted a textual analysis that primarily looked at the learners’ short-text writing skills. We used a form with 30 phrases the respondents needed to complete using past tenses. Then, we assessed the written and spoken communication skills of students. The analysis results show that, on the one hand, most respondents needed help distinguishing between the past continuous and simple past tenses, resulting in misuse. On the other hand, we found some slight errors in phrases in which the present perfect tense was supposed to be used.

Introduction: Margins and boundaries in linguistic categorization

Introduction: Margins and boundaries in linguistic categorization

LINGUACULTURAL MODEL OF THE KAZAKH WORLDVIEW IN THE WESTERN CONTEXT

When the development of globalization processes become a huge field of communication, the question of the effectiveness of inter-ethnic interaction arises in the world. In this regard, it is very important to have a proper understanding of the worldview of a nation. This article is devoted to the close connection between the national worldview and language as well as the translation and interpretation of the concepts presenting the linguistic image of the world on the base of Abai’s works were studied and conceptualised in western surveys. This article examines the important values for science which are scientific and practical values. The problems of conceptualization of historical and cultural concepts and reception in other nation’s consciousness are determined through the analysis of the linguistic image of the world. The results of the research can be used in the course «Abai studies» and in linguistics, philosophy, cultural studies as well as in conducting research works. In the study of the linguistic image of the world as a cultural phenomenon, various paradigms, linguistic and cultural categories were considered based on the principle of consistency and interdisciplinary approach. The works of western researchers dealing with the problems of Abai studies, poems from Abai’s complete collection of works were selected as the object of research.

THE CONCEPT OF “BILINGUISM” AND ITS FEATURES IN FICTIONAL TEXTS

The article is devoted to the phenomenon of bilingualism in fiction. Bilingualism is an important sociolinguistic phenomenon that plays an important role in the profession of translator and the modern development of psycho- and sociolinguistics. Different definitions of the concept of "bilingualism" are characterized in the article; different positions in the understanding of the concept are described. Linguistic, sociolinguistic, psycholinguistic and methodical aspects of bilingualism are distinguished due to a rather broad concept. Linguistics analyzes the structure of two languages, the relationship between structural elements and their interaction and interpenetration at different levels. Sociolinguistics analyzes the role of social functions of bilingualism in the life of speakers. Psycholinguistics focuses on identifying the characteristics of linguistic categories and concepts reflected in the linguistic consciousness of bilingual people, and analyzing the features of retention, recognition and understanding of categories and concepts specific to the second language, which are absent in the linguistic consciousness of native speakers. This is where the concept of "culture shock" arises, which is extremely popular in literary texts. Depending on the listed aspects, the types and types of bilingualism are described: individual and group; official and unofficial; horizontal and vertical; pure and mixed; artificial and natural; regional and national. Special attention is paid in the article to bilingualism in the texts of the artistic genre. It is noted that language is a cultural code of intercultural communication, which in turn is a criterion of the author's nationality and the reason for bilingualism and multilingualism in artistic works. The specificity of literary conceptualization is characterized, which in turn affects the cultural integration of artistic texts and the most complete description of the linguistic picture of the world. Artistic texts simultaneously narrate, evoke memories, and describe their own reality in a constantly changing language, and thus reflect the author's artistic reality and the atmosphere he intended to convey.

Linguistic means of forming euphemisms in the modern Chinese language

The article discusses the linguistic means of forming euphemisms in the modern Chinese language and the study of the concept of “euphemism” synchronically and diachronically. Authors highlighted and described several linguistic classifications of euphemisms, presenting the historical prerequisites for their appearance in China, analyzing the connection between taboos and euphemistic vocabulary and formulating the main subject-thematic groups of Chinese euphemisms. Attention is paid to the methods of formation of euphemisms in the Chinese language, including the phonetic allusion, antonomasia, euphemization of certain fixed expressions, metaphor, metonymy. With the help of deductive-inductive analysis and a vast set of examples, authors describe how some foundations of Confucious morality and ethical-ritual traditions in Chinese society led to restriction of the usage for some lexical units and resulted in the emergence of a large number of euphemisms in the Chinese language. The study reveals many factors influencing the usage of euphemisms in the modern Chinese language including the development of society. Special attention in the article is given to the role of euphemism as a universal phenomenon, providing an opportunity for better understanding the culture of the Chinese people and their language and widening the field of effective cross-cultural communication. The authors examined the works of prominent Chinese linguists and emphasized some certain differences in their classifications. The conducted study shows that the phenomenon of euphemism exists in all nations of the world and refers to the same origin but differs in the methods of the research and therefore in the ways of forming certain lexical units.

On Dagur Kinship Terms

Abstract According to conventional linguistic classifications, Dagur is one of the archaic Mongolic languages. This language is unique, allegedly connected with the Para- Mongolic language Khitan, and it has a close areal relationship with two Tungusic languages, Manchu and Solon Ewenki. This paper is a continuation of the author’s research on etymological studies of the Dagur language. Two papers have already been published, focusing respectively on names for body parts (Khabtagaeva 2021) and colours (Khabtagaeva 2022). The present paper addresses kinship terminology. The Dagur terms were collected from different published works and fieldwork materials. Most of the terms are of Mongolic origin with special Dagur phonetic features and with an internal Dagur mophological development. A few terms were borrowed from Tungusic languages and Chinese.

BIBLICAL IMAGES-SYMBOLS IN FRANK PERETTI’S MYSTICAL THRILLERS: LINGUAL REPRESENTATION AND PRAGMATIC VALUE

The paper aims to clarify the biblical image-symbols in Frank Peretti’s mystical thrillers. The problem of the detailed analysis of the lingual representation of the biblical image-symbols and their pragmatic value is solved in the article by applying a complex of methods of linguistic poetics, cognitive linguistics, stylistics and methodological tools of discourse analysis. The paper considers the biblical images-symbols, used in American mystical thrillers written by the protestant author Frank Peretti, as biblical intertexts depicting not only biblical knowledge but also author’s intentions and beliefs in conveying the most profound ideas and principles of the literary texts. Executed in the written works by lexical means, biblical image-symbols become the heart of biblically-marked contexts, which are differentiated according to their addressee orientation into author`s and character`s biblically-marked contexts and their scope – into propositional, composite, and complex biblically-marked contexts. The lingual representation of the biblical image-symbols is differentiated according to their structure into one-component (anthroponyms, toponyms, artifact, animalistic, anthropomorphic) and multicomponent, (two-component, three-component and four-component). The type of semantic transposition in the meaning of the lingual representation and pragmatic value of the biblical image-symbols determined the distinguishing of metaphoric and metonymic linguistic classification of the biblical image-symbols. Metaphoric are classified according to their structure (onecomponent and multi-component), their stylistic characteristics (language and speech metaphoric linguistic representants of the biblical image-symbols), and their denotative meaning (anthropomorphic, naturalmorphic, zoomorphic, and phytomorphic). Metonymic are differentiated according to the kinds of the metonymic transference of meaning into four groups: metonymy of belonging, metonymy of place, metonymy of signs, and metonymy of phenomenon.

Bias in Acoustic‐ and Linguistic‐based Classifications of Alzheimer’s Disease

AbstractBackgroundIt is crucial to identify patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). To do so, various attempts have been made to develop AI and non‐AI assessments, among which some focus on developing acoustic‐ and linguistic‐based classifiers. They are based on the detection of impairments in their language and speech, which can manifest years before other cognitive impairments associated with AD appear. The fact is that most of the current vocal and language classifiers of AD have been trained using the Pitt corpus, which is an imbalanced class and gender dataset. These two characteristics could be enough to bias such classifiers making them untrustworthy and unsuitable for integration into AD care settings. This paper presents a novel method for collecting vocal data to reduce the impact of potential sources of bias on acoustic and linguistic classifiers for AD.MethodWe will use a data collection approach that collects voices from participants (i.e., patients with AD and healthy controls) with diversity in race, gender, educational, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds. Participants will be asked to perform diverse language tasks, including word association, verbal fluency, and grammaticality judgment tasks. Following such an approach can ensure we collect oral data that wouldn’t be affected by selection, recruitment, sociolinguistics, and gender biases.ResultsThe main result of this study is the creation of a benchmark vocal dataset from diverse gender and racial groups and ensuring that the data is representative of the population with AD. We expect such data to be used for evaluating and validating and help AI developers to successfully develop fair acoustic and linguistic classifiers of AD. It, in its turn, can motivate healthcare professionals to employ these systems as assistants to identify patients with AD from their voices quickly.ConclusionThe Pitt corpus is a biased data set. Thus, acoustic and linguistic classifiers trained upon it can not be considered trustworthy AI systems. The AI developers that aim to deploy vocal systems into Alzheimer’s disease care settings would need unbiased vocal data. This study proposed a method to collect such verbal data.

Utilizing attributive patterns as a linguistic classification tool of newspapers

The indices for the classification of newspapers have often focused on agenda-setting roles, economic position and size of newspapers, among others. Concerning newspapers in Africa, Moehler and Singh (2011) and Hasty (2005) assert that the only index for the classification of newspapers is ownership. The study, therefore, focuses on the patterns of the attributive mode of the transitivity system of Systemic Functional Grammar to propose a linguistic alternative index for classifying newspapers. The findings indicate that the patterns of attributions that occur are significant and viable enough to classify newspapers.

Towards a comprehensive pragmatic model of subjectivity: Empirical evidence from French

This paper delves into the phenomenon of subjectivity, with a particular focus on one of its components – perspective taking. It explores two linguistic cues categories: verb tenses in their perspectival usages and Free Indirect Discourse (FID). In this paper, we experimentally test how readers process sentences in which the French Passé Simple is employed in a perspectival manner within two types of subjective contexts: those with FID and those without FID markers. In addition, we consider whether the processing is influenced by the type of emotion expressed in these subjective contexts, whether it is positive or negative. We find a facilitation effect exclusively in FID contexts and only when the emotion expressed is positive. This could suggest that it is not the verb tense itself which is a cue for speaker’s subjectivity, but rather its occurrence in contexts such as FID. To interpret the results, we build on an array of empirical results found on connectives, verb tenses, and FID to put forward a comprehensive pragmatic model of subjectivity.

From Context-Free to Context-Embedded: A Comparative Study on the Interpretation of Metaphors in Sentence-Level and Situation-Based Tests in Saudi EFL Learners

This research delved into the understanding of metaphoric competence among Saudi EFL learners, particularly in the context of situational contexts, linguistic and conceptual similarities, and differences. With a backdrop that accentuates the significance of metaphors in language proficiency, the study addressed the lack of attention to metaphoric competence in EFL settings, especially in Saudi Arabia. The study embraced a quantitative paradigm, utilizing a cross-sectional design, and engaged a sample of 94 Saudi EFL students. Data was collected through instruments such as the Receptive Language Proficiency Test, Receptive Metaphoric Competence Test (R-MC), and Familiarity Scale (FAMscale). Key findings indicated a notable difference in students' scores between sentence-level tests (SLT) and situation-based tests (SBT) about the interpretation of metaphors. Furthermore, significant differences emerged among three linguistic and conceptual categories of metaphors for both SLT and SBT. In essence, the research underscored the paramount role of situational context and linguistic-conceptual nuances in influencing EFL learners' metaphoric interpretations. The study underscores the important differences in Saudi EFL learners' interpretations of metaphors across varied linguistic and conceptual categories. These findings advocate for targeted pedagogical approaches in EFL curricula that emphasize the integration of linguistically and conceptually congruent metaphoric expressions, paving the way for enhanced comprehension and proficiency among learners.

Категория прямоты в лексике и прагматике

The article deals with the linguistic and speech category of directness, which is dialectically connected with its opposite – the category of indirectness. Realizations of the category of directness are considered: firstly, in language vocabulary and idiomatics; secondly, in speech communication; thirdly, in a more general sense of understanding the features of the system of language and speech. Two aspects of using the concept of directness to characterize linguistic and communicative-speech phenomena are considered. On the one hand, the use of the concept of directness for this purpose is due to the semantic structure of lexemes directly / direct / directness, their direct and figurative (metaphor, metonymy) meanings, relations with opposite concepts (various depending on the meaning of “directness”). On the other hand, this is due to the character of natural human language, which also dialectically combines “directness” (of communication, communicative meanings) and “indirectness” (inaccuracy, asymmetry, etc.). In theoretical linguistics, for several centuries, these features of the nature of language have repeatedly become the object of reflection – from different points of view, in different concepts, under different names, while so far much more attention has been paid to indirectness than directness, which is shown by a review of modern linguistic literature, dedicated to the relevant features and units of linguistic and communicative speech phenomena. The article analyzes the contexts representing the semantic and pragmatic polysemy of directness in speech communication: situations that are comprehended as such in artistic dialogues (author’s speeches) (“He / she said directly” / “Say directly”); the main speech intentions of the speakers in these situations are revealed – recognition, request, consent and refusal, prediction, statement, promise.

Contingent capture by color is sensitive to categorical color perception.

Contingent capture (CC) theory postulates that attention can only be captured by top-down matching stimuli. Although the contingent capture of attention is a well-known and thoroughly studied phenomenon, there is still no consensus on the characteristics of the top-down template which guides the search for colors. We tried to replicate the classical contingent capture effect on color (Experiment 1) and then added linguistic processing to this perceptual effect (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, attention was indeed captured by the cues of the same color as the target, while the cues of different colors were successfully ignored. In Experiment 2, the cue color was never identical to the target color but would either belong to the same linguistic category or not (i.e., linguistic matching and linguistic nonmatching cues). In both cases, cues were made to be equally perceptually distant from the target. Although, attention was captured by both cue types, the degree of capture was significantly higher for linguistic matching cues. Our research replicated the classic contingent capture effect but on color, and also demonstrated the effect of color categories in the search task. In short, we demonstrated the effect of color categories in the search task. Results show that the template for color search contains physical characteristics of color, as well as information about color category names.

Real objects as a reason for mathematical reasoning – A comparison of different task settings

In this article, the goal is to describe students’ mathematical reasoning in the context of different settings of problem-solving tasks. The core of the tasks are real objects, which are presented to the students with the help of photos, a 3D model or in the environment itself. With reference to the experiential learning theory and relations to problem-solving and modelling, theoretical potentials for mathematical reasoning emerge. In a qualitative study with 19 secondary school students these are empirically tested. The evaluation of the video recordings of the students’ solution processes are coded with the help of qualitative content analysis, among others with references to problem-solving and linguistic categories of conclusive speech acts. The results show that mathematical reasoning can be observed especially in the work with photos and that the work with real objects generally evokes reasoning activities in the area of planning and exploration of strategies.

Problems of English for Specific Purpose Course for Medical Students in Myanmar Context

An ESP course for medical students intends to help them study their subjectmatter and in their profession in the future. It is now broadly accepted thatthe English language has become the language of internationalcommunication. The widespread need for English as a foreign language putsgreat pressure on the educational resources of many countries. ESP coursesneed specific language and skills that are related to communities of practiceand disciplines. Careful examination of the attitudes and perceptions oflearners and instructors was seen to be significant in determining theproblems of ESP courses. This research has emphases on an ESP courseoffered at the Faculty of Medical Sciences in Myanmar. The investigationaimed at congregating such data from the students and their lecturers at university and perceiving ESP classes to make informed decisions to certifyeffective language learning. The tools used in this study were questionnairesfor 77 medical students, interviews with 16 ESP lecturers, and observationsby the researchers. The facts from the questionnaires were analyzed by usingthe statistic program, version 16. The results showed that ESP instructionwas restricted to training special vocabulary and reading and translatingnumerous texts. Of course, current teaching methods did not reflectstudents’ interests and resulted in the low motivation of learners and theirpoor participation. This study accepted that the English language was usedextensively in the medical field. Therefore, ESP courses for medicalstudents should be based on the target needs of students representingcommunicative use of language rather than linguistic categories.

Wildfire risk weighting and behaviour prediction using open geospatial data and ontologies

This article presents a novel approach to wildfire risk assessment and behaviour prediction by leveraging open geospatial data and ontologies. The proposed methodology includes a spatially weighted index model and multicriteria analysis to represent the risk of forest fires in the affected area. It bridges gaps in theory and practice, offering a comprehensive solution for evaluating potential forest fire risk in near real time, predicting fire behaviour and elucidating the semantics of fire management. During dry and hot conditions, forest fires tend to escalate. Hence, we propose an algorithm that combines experts’ empirical criteria and open-source data to identify dangerous fires in near real time, aiding authorities in directing attention to the riskiest areas. The objective is to predict forest fire behaviour, a complex and nonlinear system influenced by dynamic factors such as weather conditions, topography and land use. Our methodology enables real-time assessment of potential forest fire risks, complemented by predictive fire behaviour scenarios and a descriptive ontology of fire management semantics. We examine existing fire-related ontologies and propose a comprehensive one encompassing incident descriptions, firefighting resources, actor interrelations and knowledge for effective action. By classifying fire sources, our algorithm enables strategic decision-making to prevent uncontrolled fires. This solution significantly enhances data using semantic and spatial relationships among wildfire resources. Furthermore, we demonstrate how ontologies improve data integration and interoperability among diverse systems and organisations involved in forest fire risk management, fostering better coordination and faster responses to critical situations. To facilitate decision-making, we create decision-making scenarios linked to analysed hot spots, drawing from open hot spot data such as National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), OpenStreetMap (OSM), OpenWeatherMap (OWM) and OpenTopoData (OTD). We propose an ordinal and linguistic classification system (F1–F5) denoting risk levels as low, moderate, high, very high and extreme. These values are obtained through factor aggregation and fuzzy logic. A publicly accessible, interactive web map displays the results derived from this model. Overall, our contributions to wildfire risk management provide authorities with a valuable tool to make informed decisions and mitigate the damaging effects of wildfires.

Effects of Affect and Message Framing on Responses to Charity Advertising: A Construal Level and Regulatory Focus Perspective

ABSTRACT Charitable donation appeals can be framed to highlight the attainment of desirable outcomes (promotion framing) or the avoidance of undesirable situations (prevention framing). Drawing from regulatory focus theory, construal level theory, and the linguistic categorization model, this study reveals how the impact of the two messages frames can be influenced by the emotional state of the message recipient. Participants had more favorable attitudes toward charity advertisements, were more likely to donate to a food bank, and placed more value on donating when charity ads highlighted desirable end-states, but only if they were in a positive mood. In a negative mood, participants responded better to charity ads that described how donations could be used to avoid undesirable situations. Analysis showed these effects might occur because people process information differently under the two mood conditions and the two message frames trigger different motivational mind-sets.

A Linguistic Analysis of Instagram Captions Between Adolescent Suicide Decedents and Living Controls.

Background: Suicide rates continue to rise for adolescents in the United States. 62% of teenagers use Instagram, and as technology and research in this domain advance, social media posts could provide insights into near-term adolescent risk states and could inform new strategies for suicide prevention. This study analyzed language in captions of teenagers' Instagram accounts in the 3 months before suicide and compared caption language to matched living controls. Method: The study identified 89 teenagers who died by suicide using obituaries and news reports and 89 matched living control teenagers. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software was used to test for differences in specific language categories across linguistic, psychological, and topical categories (e.g., word count, tone, grammar, affective, cognitive, social, punctuation marks, etc.). Results: Significant differences between suicide decedents and living controls were found. Adolescent suicide decedents used more words per sentence, more references to sadness, male individuals, drives, and leisure and fewer verbs and references to they, affiliation, achievement, and power. Limitations: Methodological limitations include the use of only public accounts, small sample size, occasional short posts, and lack of adjustment for multiple testing. Conclusion: Although the sample size is relatively small and only included youth with public accounts, we identified differences in Instagram caption language between adolescents who died by suicide as compared to living controls.

Justifying the selection of a neural network linguistic classifier

The subject matter of this article revolves around the exploration of neural network architectures to enhance the accuracy of text classification, particularly within the realm of natural language processing. The significance of text classification has grown notably in recent years due to its pivotal role in various applications like sentiment analysis, content filtering, and information categorization. Given the escalating demand for precision and efficiency in text classification methods, the evaluation and comparison of diverse neural network models become imperative to determine optimal strategies. The goal of this study is to address the challenges and opportunities inherent in text classification while shedding light on the comparative performance of two well-established neural network architectures: Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). To achieve the goal, the following tasks were solved: a comprehensive analysis of these neural network models was performed, considering several key aspects. These aspects include classification accuracy, training and prediction time, model size, data distribution, and overall ease of use. By systematically assessing these attributes, this study aims to provide valuable information about the strengths and weaknesses of each model and enable researchers and practitioners to make informed decisions when selecting a neural network classifier for text classification tasks. The following methods used are a comprehensive analysis of neural network models, assessment of classification accuracy, training and prediction time, model size, and data distribution. The following results were obtained: The LSTM model demonstrated superior classification accuracy across all three training sample sizes when compared to CNN. This highlights LSTM's ability to effectively adapt to diverse data types and consistently maintain high accuracy, even with substantial data volumes. Furthermore, the study revealed that computing power significantly influences model performance, emphasizing the need to consider available resources when selecting a model. Conclusions. Based on the study's findings, the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model emerged as the preferred choice for text data classification. Its adeptness in handling sequential data, recognizing long-term dependencies, and consistently delivering high accuracy positions it as a robust solution for text analysis across various domains. The decision is supported by the model's swift training and prediction speed and its compact size, making it a suitable candidate for practical implementation.