Lexical Variants Research Articles

Ecolinguistic dynamics of English loanwords in Chinese: a case study on terms for cement

Ecolinguistics explores the interplay between language and the environment, offering insights into how linguistic elements adapt and evolve. This study examines five cement-related English loanwords in Chinese to uncover the evolutionary mechanisms governing the adaptation of these loanwords by analyzing their ecological dynamics. The research quantitatively evaluates the ecology of these loanwords using two indicators: lexical niche breadth and overlap. The results are as follows: (1) The emergence of English loanwords in Chinese is intricately linked to specific social environments. As new concepts and items are introduced from abroad, the masses initially coin new loanwords, which are later standardized by authoritative bodies. (2) The vitality of the loanwords correlates with their niche breadth. The competition among lexical variants is influenced by niche overlap. The loanwords for cement are ranked by vitality values in descending order—ShuiNi (水泥/water mud): 3.221, YangHui (洋灰/foreign ash): 2.350, ShuiMenTing (水门汀/water-gate concrete): 1.385, HongMaoNi (红毛泥/red-hair clay): 1.202, and ShiMinTu (士敏土/sticky soil): 0.879. (3) The endangerment of the loanwords results from the synergistic interaction between external (nature, society, culture, psychology) and internal (sound, form, meaning, grammar) environments. Intense competition arises due to multiple synonyms for the same entity, and adaptation challenges occur when the loanwords do not precisely fit the entity. Among the five loanwords for cement, the first two exhibit higher vitality and continue to develop sustainably, while the last three show lower vitality and are gradually becoming endangered. As these loanwords undergo continuous evolution, a lexical ecocontinuum emerges: (i) extinct in the wild—ShiMinTu; (ii) critically endangered—HongMaoNi; (iii) endangered—ShuiMenTing; (iv) vulnerable—YangHui; (v) least concerned—ShuiNi.

Indigenization of Pakistani English in Kanza Javed’s Ashes, Wine and Dust

This article explores the indigenization of English in Pakistan in Kanza Javed’s English novel ‘Ashes, Wine and Dust’. This exploratory and interpretative research employed a close reading of the novel to analyse lexical borrowing in Pakistani English, utilising a note-taking technique to identify incorporated Urdu words, examining linguistic features such as semantic fields. The analysis following established frameworks that focus on lexical borrowing and variation as reflections of socio-linguistic practices. The research aimed to explore two key questions regarding lexical variation in this novel. First, the study examined how Javed incorporates various lexical borrowing in her novel. These include words related to food, living styles, clothing, forms of address and titles, religious terms, Indo-Pak history, traditional wedding events, ethnic identity, languages representing cultural identity, and places symbolizing cultural heritage. Each of these categories reflects the rich cultural and historical context of Pakistan. Second, the study analysed how these lexical variations reflect socio-linguistic practices in Pakistani English. The novel shows the use of code-switching and compounding, two prominent features of Pakistani English that highlight the engaging language use between Urdu and English, blending them to create a distinct linguistic identity. By integrating these cultural-specific words, the writer aims to enhance the authenticity of the story and connect with a broader audience. This shows how language variation reflects the socio-linguistic norms of Pakistani society.

VERBAL LEXEMES IN THE DERIVATIONAL CLUSTER WITH THE INITIAL WORD SALT IN THE NATIONAL RUSSIAN LANGUAGE

The article deals with semantic characteristics of verbal lexemes that are a part of the derivational cluster – a structural component of lexical and phraseological complex with the initial word salt. The paper analyses the role of the initial word in forming the complex, reveals the causes of semantic and amount differences of particular word clusters that are formed by different lexical and semantic variants of the polysemantic word salt. The article reveals the factors that influence the development of lexical item creative potential: extra linguistic, language system and intra-word ones. The article demonstrates the causes of the disproportion of analysed particular word clusters – factors that have positive and negative impact on word-formation activity of lexical and semantic variants of the word salt. Lexical items of different derivational stages ascending to two lexical and semantic variants of the initial word and items with erased inner form, that are on the periphery of the general word cluster, are analysed. The author develops a hypothesis about semantic connection of these items and lexical and semantic variants of the word salt. The possible reasons of metaphoric meanings appearing are shown. The article gives analysis of semantic shifts revealed in some derived words. The author comes to the conclusion about topicality of the denoted object for the native speakers and peculiarities of development and meaning extension of the word salt in verbal lexemes.

TRACING THE FOOTPRINT OF WORLD ENGLISHES ON MACHINE TRANSLATION TOOLS

With the rise in the population who uses English as a Foreign or Second language, World Englishes has become more focus of English language teaching field specialists. As a consequence, English varieties which are present in supplementary tools used in the process of language teaching and learning took on a new meaning. As one of the commonly used supplementary tools is machine translation tools, the current study aims to explore the machine translation outputs tendency considering grammar-based, spelling-based, and lexical variations between varieties of Englishes regarding Google Translate outputs. Source texts were extracted from Turkish National Corpus. A total of seventy-three Turkish to English machine translation outputs were examined regarding two dominant varieties, American English and British English, with the aim of figuring out the machine translation tendency of translation outputs. The analysis of the research showed that Google Translate provides users with mostly American English compared to British English.

DIFFERENTIATION OF WORD MEANINGS IN TRANSLATION (ON THE EXAMPLE OF RUSSIAN AND TURKISH LANGUAGES)

The relevance of the study of lexical transformations in the process of translation is associated with the need to ensure communication between the author and recipients in terms of recreating the lexical, structural and stylistic richness of the original in the translated text. Since today far from all the methods and mechanisms for eliminating language inaccuracies have been studied, this direction occupies an important role in the translation science branch of knowledge. The purpose of the study is to examine the role and functions of differentiation of meanings in the process of literary translation from Russian into Turkish by analysing the lexico-semantic means used in the context of literary works. This paper uses the methods of contextual, lexico-semantic, comparative, linguoculturological and analytical-synthetic analysis are used in the paper. This study is aimed at studying lexical transformations in the translated text, mechanisms for transferring the semantic subtleties of the source with minimization of lexical losses and combining techniques to obtain a translated text that is as accessible to the readership as possible. The work is focused on contextual and lexico-semantic analysis, search, and comparison of lexical variants and structural patterns in the original and translation. Attention was drawn to the mechanisms of differentiation and generalization of meanings, as well as the semantic unfolding of events. When analysing lexico-semantic and syntactic constructions, as well as phraseological phrases, the topic of national linguistic features and cultural specifics, which play an important role in the translation of literary texts, was touched upon. In the future, this work can be used in the field of translation studies, cultural linguistics, automatic text processing, the creation of lexicographic thesauri, and the study of semantic patterns and equivalents. The study examined the nuances of word usage in translations from Russian to Turkish, underscoring the inevitability of lexical transformations. Strategies primarily involved expanding, narrowing, and clarifying the source text’s semantics. Russian-Turkish translations also frequently employed semantic deployment and structural element transformations to elucidate intricate meanings. Stable, often phraseological turns were highlighted, emphasizing their non-equivalent nature. Such techniques reconstruct the original’s cultural essence and authorial style. While there exist discrepancies between the Russian and Turkish contexts, lexical transformations often simplify complex structures for clarity in Turkish. Idiomatic expressions in Turkish involve detailing meanings or unfolding specific events descriptively. The study demonstrated the interplay between the original and its translation, revealing strategies and issues within linguistics and translation studies.

Examining Malaysian Chinese Lexical Variations in Newspaper Discourse: A Standard Chinese in China Perspective

Examining Malaysian Chinese Lexical Variations in Newspaper Discourse: A Standard Chinese in China Perspective

The Ecology of English Loanwords in Chinese: A Case Study of Cement

From an ecolinguistic perspective, this study focuses on five English loanwords in Chinese related to the field of cement, as defined in the Modern Chinese Dictionary. The research quantitatively examines the ecological dynamics of these loanwords using two indicators: lexical niche breadth and overlap. The goal is to uncover the evolutionary mechanism governing their adaptation. The findings show: (1) The emergence of English loanwords is intricately linked to specific social environments. As new concepts and items are introduced from abroad, the masses initially make new loanwords, which are later standardized by authoritative bodies. (2) The vitality of loanwords correlates with their niche breadth. The competition among lexical variants is influenced by niche overlap. The loanwords for cement, ranked by vitality in descending order, are ShuiNi (3.221), YangHui (2.350), ShuiMenTing (1.385), HongMaoNi (1.202), and ShiMinTu (0.879). (3) The endangerment of loanwords results from a combination of external (social environment) and internal (language system) factors. Intense competition arises due to the presence of multiple synonyms for the same entity, and localization challenges occur when the loanwords do not precisely fit the entity. Among the five loanwords for cement, the first two exhibit higher vitality and continue to develop sustainably, while the last three show lower vitality and are gradually becoming endangered. As these loanwords undergo continuous evolution, a lexical ecocontinuum emerges: extinct in the wild—ShiMinTu; critically endangered—HongMaoNi; endangered—ShuiMenTing; vulnerable—YangHui; least concerned—ShuiNi.

A Synopsis of the Lexical Variations in British and American English

The focal point of this research work is to find out the lexical distinctions between British and American varieties of English and their persistently reciprocal impacts. Over the years, both the British and American vocabularies have been influencing each other, specially due to politics, economics, diplomatic relationships, information technology and globalization. From time to time, the variance of vocabulary in the two varieties results in increasing the number of English synonyms which is, in fact, an asset for the language. But sometimes, the synonyms may cause serious differences in meaning as some words may mean something in British English; the same may denote something else in American English and vice versa. One should, therefore, be careful and consistent about their use.It is most probable that as a result of various procedures of the change in lexical meaning and language, the two varieties would someday merge by turning them into an identical entity. So, this paper intends to provide the reader and/or the user of English with the correct application of the two varieties for our day-to-day life.

Representation of Madurese Dialects in English Study Program Students at Universitas Trunojoyo Madura

AbstarctThis paper aims to identify the Madurese dialects and identify difficult factors for the English study program at Universitas Trunojoyo Madura in understanding Madurese dialects. The communicative goals to some extent are unachievable as the speakers and listeners do not share lexical variation understanding even though they come from the same linguistic background. This applied a qualitative method with a descriptive approach. Represented participants from each district (Bangkalan, Sampang, Pamekasan, Sumenep) engaged in this paper. They filled out a designed questionnaire shared through Google Form. To analyze the chosen data, the proposing theoretical framework proposed by Wardhaugh, looking at the interwoven between the speaking linguistic data and existing theories. The result of this paper shows that there are lexicon variations of Madurese dialects including nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs and there are also difficult factors for English Study Program students at the University of Trunojoyo Madura in understanding the Madurese dialect, including the vocabulary factor, which referred to the number of lexical variations (special words) of the Madurese dialect and the pronunciation factor, which referred to the speed of intonation and accent. Keywords: English study program, Madurese dialect, Representation

Lexical Variations in the Ewe Language Spoken In Ho in the Volta Region of Ghana

The study was conducted to investigate the lexical variances observed in the Ewe language spoken among the Ho group. This study aims to examine the observed variations in speech patterns among both indigenous individuals and immigrants residing in the vicinity of Ho, the capital city of the Volta Region. The data analysis used the application of Labov's variationist theory from 1996 and Giles' speech accommodation theory from 1973. Information was gathered from native communities and those who had migrated to the area under investigation. The research employed a qualitative methodology and utilized purposive sampling procedures. The data were acquired through the utilization of observational methods, interviews, and the analysis of live radio broadcasts. Investigations have uncovered substantial regional and social disparities in the Ewe language spoken in Ho, leading to the utilization of distinct linguistic characteristics in everyday communication. The dialects within the speech community exhibit lexical, phonological, and grammatical diversity. There are some lexicons that the three dialects share, while others are unique to only two of the three dialects. Additionally, there are certain lexicons that are different from one dialect to another. The study provides confirmation that the dialectal backgrounds of language users within the speech community do not have an impact on the issue of mutual understanding. This is evident from the fact that the Eedome, Aŋlↄ and Tↄŋu dialects can be considered as being mutually intelligible. Keywords: Lexical, variation, ewe language, Eedome and Tↄŋu or Aŋlↄ, Tↄŋu, Ho

Considerations Regarding the Paradigmatic and Syntagmatic Dimension of Occasionalisms

Vocabulary changes are an inherent part of the process of existence and development of a language system. In order to give a name to the phenomena of the surrounding reality, the human, as a creative being, not only makes use of the existing possibilities of the language system, but also resorts to possible means of creating words that are not yet used, or not used at all, and is sometimes put in the position of breaking the established lexical rules. Nonce words, being definite attributes of the speech, display a paradigmatic-syntagmatic combinatory capacity similar to that of common words, thus filling the gaps in the language system. Being, on the one hand, a means of naming through the process of its selection from the multitude of possible lexical variants, the nonce word falls within the realm of paradigmatics, and, on the other hand, being part of a context and interacting with the linguistic signs in its proximity, the nonce word also enters into relations of a syntagmatic order. The present paper proposes a paradigmatic and syntagmatic investigation, thus highlighting the various paradigmatic (hyponymy/hyperonymy, polysemy, homonymy, paronymy, synonymy and antonymy) and syntagmatic (logical-lexical, associative and syntactic relations) relationships in which nonce words can be embedded.

COMPARISON OF THE SPEECH TEXTS OF INDONESIAN PRESIDENT JOKO WIDODO AND PRESIDENT SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO: STUDY USING A CORPUS LINGUISTIC APPROACH

Purpose: This research has several objectives. First, determine lexical density and compare the lexical density. Second, to determine the key lexical density and compare the key lexical density. Third, to test the independence of the relationship between lexical variations and the text of President Joko Widodo's and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's speeches. Theoretical Reference: The theoretical basis used in this research is the lexical analysis approach in linguistics. The application of lexical perspective analysis is expected to be able to review the communication used by each individual. The theoretical lexical discussion will also use a statistical independence analysis approach. The application of a statistical independence analysis approach is used to review a person's individual language abilities. Method: This research uses a qualitative and quantitative corpus linguistics approach. The corpus linguistic application used in this research is the KORTARA application (Korpus Nusantara). The research data is a corpus of 9 texts of President Joko Widodo's speeches and a corpus of 9 texts of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono which are official speeches every 16 August before the DPR of the Republic of Indonesia. Results and Conclusion: The results of this research reveal that the text corpus of President Joko Widodo's speech is richer and more varied than the text corpus of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's speech in lexical use. This research also revealed that there is a relationship between lexical variation and the type of text of the President of the Republic of Indonesia's speech with a confidence level of 95%. The difference in lexical variation and frequency between the text corpus of President Joko Widodo's speech and the text corpus of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's speech is statistically significant at p < 0.05. Implication of Research: The implication of this research is the realization of the KORTARA corpus linguistic approach (Korpus Nusantara) which can facilitate research for small and large scale data. This research also reveals that the application of a statistical approach provides maximum results in the analysis of large-scale linguistic phenomena. Originality/value: The current study makes a valuable empirical contribution by combining statistical analysis using corpus and qualititative analysis to give comprehensive conclusion. This study is the answer toward the question about the reliability and validity of linguistic studies.

An ecological approach to the lexical evolution of Chinese English

Aims and objectives: Rooted in a contact-oriented stance, this study aims to approach the dynamic evolution of Chinese English lexis from the perspective of language ecology by seeking an ecological explanation of diachronic lexical change. Specifically, it attempts to investigate the division of labor between external and internal ecological factors motivating the evolutionary patterns of Chinese English lexis in the past 60 years. Methodology: A mixed-methods approach was adopted by combining meticulous coding of each lexical item and numerical calculation of the distribution of lexical manifestations on significant linguistic dimensions. Data collection and analysis: In terms of data collection, the Chinese English lexis was sourced coherently and longitudinally from Beijing Review (1958–2018). In terms of data analysis, a systematic analytical framework of five parameters (frequency, form, grammar, word formation, and semantics) was created before qualitatively charting the features and quantitatively calculating the statistics for the value of each parameter. Findings: Externally, ecological factors bear on lexical trends of all linguistic parameters except lexical forms; internally, system–internal interactions among lexical variants project congruent patterns of alignment among various sets of features of all parameters except grammar. Originality: Few studies have approached the Chinese English lexis from the diachronic perspective through the lens of language evolution based on coherently sourced data and systematic analytical procedures. Significance: The study is enlightening in providing basic statistics to permit comparisons of lexical evolution in the five linguistic parameters across Expanding Circle ecologies and in extending the evolutionary approach to language change to the lexical realm in the Chinese English context.

The Analysis of Synonym Relation Meaning in Kerinci Language: A Semantic Study

Synonyms are lexical variants that refer to the same meaning in expressing something in word form. In other cases, synonyms are lexical aspects that support cohesion in discourse which functions as a link between one lingual unit and another. This research explains the analysis of synonym meaning relation in Kerinci language through semantic study. The purpose of this research is to reveal the form of synonym meaning relation in its distribution in Kerinci area. The method used is qualitative, data obtained from oral and written sources, data collection is done by interview, and data analysis is done by semantic lexical technique. The results showed that 94 data concepts (lemma) produced 6-word classes, and 300 synonym data. The six-word classes are noun, verb, adjective, adverb, numeral, and pronoun. From the 300-synonym data, 82 data were found to belong to the TC category, 50 nTC, 138 TnC, and 30 nTnC. Geographically, it was found that the distribution of synonym data in KU was 190 data, 16 KT, 28 KM, and 66 KH. In general, Kerinci language synonyms are categorized as lexical relations because although they can be understood by Kerinci people in speech, they are also basically a form of lexical distribution that refers to vocabulary variants with similar meanings. This happens because of several factors, such as time factor, place/region factor, social factor, nuance factor of meaning. The results of the research are used as a reference and comparison. This research was conducted to reveal the diversity of lexical forms that refer to the same meaning. In other words, identifying the meaning contained in these lexical variants from the point of view of synonyms in semantic studies.

Répétition, analogie et variation lexicale comme sources des binômes phraséologiques en anglais

This corpus linguistics study analyses a subset of phraseological binomials in English made up parasynonyms to reveal their origins, structures, meanings and axiological values. Based on a journalistic corpus, the study targets combinations presenting phonetic, semantic and phonetic-cum-semantic repetition phenomena falling within the [Aing and Bing] pattern, such as naming and shaming, booing and jeering or moaning and groaning. Two hypotheses are put forward: on the one hand, that this phraseological pattern has a negative axiological value which is the result of the link between form and sense, and, on the other hand, that certain binomials established by usage give rise to the creation of new combinations by analogy with lexical variants, which accounts for the productivity of this pattern. The use of three corpora of different dates and volumes allows us to corroborate these two hypotheses and to show their vitality and frequency of use in journalistic discourse.

Morphological and Lexical Variations of Tagalog Nominal and Pronominal Systems in Bataan: Basis for the Development of an Aggregate of Discrete Tagalog Nouns and Pronouns Spoken by Bataeños

Morphological and Lexical Variations of Tagalog Nominal and Pronominal Systems in Bataan: Basis for the Development of an Aggregate of Discrete Tagalog Nouns and Pronouns Spoken by Bataeños

ВИРАЖАЛЬНИЙ ПОТЕНЦІАЛ СЛОВА В ЛІТЕРАТУРІ ФОРМАЛЬНИХ ОБМЕЖЕНЬ

Formal constraints are inherent to literature since its beginnings. Every author has to solve the problem of choosing the fi tting lexical options from the multitude of lexical and semantical variants. Focusing on a certain topic or the desire to express thoughts and emotions of a certain directivity immediately shape the necessity of con-straints for the author. Creative freedom and the perceived constraints form a dialectic pair and paradoxically contribute to the true enrichment of the literary genre. The key focus of the advocates of Oulipo are theory and practice of constraint. The received results of the creative work allow to intensify the observations of word and language as objects of boundless attention. Through lingual experiments and ver-bal discoveries, it has been possible to approach the understanding of the world and the person in it oftentimes in the form of play.The work on language and its potential inventory continues since the founding of Oulipo and till today. The authors strive to research spoken word and written word graphics resources. Through combining seemingly incompatible things (poetry and mathematics, the funny and the serious, strenuous work and lighthearted play), the collision of diff erent contexts and senses occurs. Totally new senses that manifest the limitlessness of literary art are born and burst.The interest in formal structures and verbal experiments is most often seen on the col-lision point of diff erent literary phenomena or epochs. The following conditions are crucial for the functioning of constrained writing: 1) the presence of the original (preferably but not necessarily precedent) text; 2) architectonic and semantic transformation of the initial text; 3) experimental and creative nature of contemporary author’s work; 4) intensifi cation of intellectual communicative game; 5) cultivation of appendant and additional complexities.

Debate: Social media content moderation may do more harm than good for youth mental health.

Most social media platforms censor and moderate content related to mental illness to protect users from harm, though this may be at the expense of potential positive outcomes for youth mental health. Current evidence does not offer strong support for the relationship between censoring mental health content and preventing harm. In fact, existing moderation strategies can perpetuate negative consequences for mental health by creating isolated and polarized communities where at-risk youth remain exposed to harmful content, such as pro-eating disorder communities that use lexical variants to evade censorship. Social media censorship of content related to mental illness can also silence positive discourse about mental health, create barriers to accessing online support and resources, and hinder research efforts on youth well-being. Social media content about mental health can have important positive impacts on youth mental health by facilitating help-seeking, depicting positive coping strategies, and promoting a sense of belonging for struggling youth, but these benefits are minimized under existing moderation and censorship practices. This article presents a call to action for evidence-based social media policies and for practitioners to consider the clinical implications of social media engagement when connecting with young patients.

Peningkatan Kompetensi Penulisan Karya Ilmiah Bagi Pengajar Bipa Di Yala Rajabath University Thailand

Teachers are required to have various competencies in the process of transferring knowledge to their students, as are BIPA teachers. Quality teaching competency is an important aspect in the successful achievement of student competency. Therefore, discussions on teacher competence are important as supporting the success of second language learning, in the context that will be carried out, namely the competence of BIPA teachers in writing scientific papers. This is done because writing skills are skills that are difficult to learn and teach. Additionally, consider BIPA which is increasingly popular for non-native speakers to follow. The objectives of this PKM are (1) to provide training in an effort to increase the competency in writing scientific papers of BIPA teachers, (2) to provide insight related to the use of technology in writing scientific papers. This activity was carried out at Yala Rajabhat University, Thailand. This location was chosen because it held BIPA learning and there were problems regarding inadequate insight in writing scientific papers in the context of Indonesian language and culture.The solution offered is to provide academic writing material (1) paraphrasing and quoting skills, (2) word or lexical variations, (3) active and inactive sentences, (4) thinking processes which include ability to understand written information, (5) structure and development of arguments in micro and macro stages. In addition, to achieve the second goal, provide insights related to the use of Mendeley, Vos Viewer, and Sciendiret and Scihub. It is hoped that these two indicators will be able to solve the problems faced by BIPA teachers

Capturing Fine-Grained Regional Differences in Language Use through Voting Precinct Embeddings

Abstract Linguistic variation across a region of interest can be captured by partitioning the region into areas and using social media data to train embeddings that represent language use in those areas. Recent work has focused on larger areas, such as cities or counties, to ensure that enough social media data is available in each area, but larger areas have a limited ability to find fine-grained distinctions, such as intracity differences in language use. We demonstrate that it is possible to embed smaller areas, which can provide higher resolution analyses of language variation. We embed voting precincts, which are tiny, evenly sized political divisions for the administration of elections. The issue with modeling language use in small areas is that the data becomes incredibly sparse, with many areas having scant social media data. We propose a novel embedding approach that alternates training with smoothing, which mitigates these sparsity issues. We focus on linguistic variation across Texas as it is relatively understudied. We develop two novel quantitative evaluations that measure how well the embeddings can be used to capture linguistic variation. The first evaluation measures how well a model can map a dialect given terms specific to that dialect. The second evaluation measures how well a model can map preference of lexical variants. These evaluations show how embedding models could be used directly by sociolinguists and measure how much sociolinguistic information is contained within the embeddings. We complement this second evaluation with a methodology for using embeddings as a kind of genetic code where we identify “genes” that correspond to a sociological variable and connect those “genes” to a linguistic phenomenon thereby connecting sociological phenomena to linguistic ones. Finally, we explore approaches for inferring isoglosses using embeddings.