Linguistic Devices Research Articles

DISCURSIVE CONSTRUCTION OF NEWS REPORTS ON PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS IN MALAYSIAN ONLINE NEWSPAPERS

Background and Purpose: As one of the most common trustworthy sources, online newspapers have been regarded as the primary source of knowledge among the public to obtain reliable and unbiased information. However, in the context of media coverage of people with mental illness, they are often portrayed negatively and regarded as unpredictable and dangerous, resulting in increased stigma and misunderstanding among the public at large. This study examines the discursive strategies used in Malaysian news articles in portraying mental illness and the linguistic devices used to successfully implement these strategies. Methodology: This study investigated 43 news articles published in popular Malaysian online newspapers to examine how issues related to mental health-related illnesses are discursively constructed and the linguistic elements that were employed to represent the complexities of the cases from a discourse analysis perspective. Findings: The results show that the local media use nomination, predication and argumentation strategies to legitimise people with mental illness. They are portrayed negatively and through various linguistic elements, primarily as perpetrators and offenders. Contributions: The study provides media professionals with nuanced information on responsible reporting of mental health issues and uses the media as a platform to destigmatise mental illness among the general public. Keywords: Discourse analysis, online newspapers, mental illness, media practice, stigma. Cite as: Mohd Ali, S. M., Wan Fakhruddin, W. F. W., Wan Adnan, W. N. A., & Azizan, E. A. (2024). Discursive construction of news reports on people with mental illness in Malaysian online newspapers. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 9(2), 371-401. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol9iss2pp371-401

Manuscript on stylistic analysis of sonnet 29 by William Shakespeare

The present study deals with the stylistic analysis of Sonnet 29, written by a very eminent poet, dramatist, and sonneteer, William Shakespeare. This analysis has been done keeping several categories in mind, such as graphological, grammatical, phonological, morphological, and metrical analysis, to study in depth the linguistic elements of Sonnet 29 along with what the poet wants to convey through portraying a state of hopelessness, failure, melancholy, and later positivity in the presence of his beloved. Stylistic techniques are used to unveil the hidden beauty of the poet’s sentiments and writing technique. Since stylistics analysis deals with linguistic devices that impart expressive or literary refinement to written discourse, this analysis aids in comprehending how Shakespeare uplifts from negative thoughts to positive ones. This analysis delves into the theme of the sonnet, the poet’s historical background, structural components, linguistic devices, concluding with a conclusion, and references.

Metaphor and gender: are words associated with source domains perceived in a gendered way?

Abstract Conceptual metaphors are one of many linguistic devices that can potentially encode and reinforce gender stereotypes. However, little is known about how metaphors encode gender stereotypes, and in previous literature the concept of “gendered metaphor” has been mostly assumed rather than attested. We take the first step to tackle this issue by examining the gender typicality of specific metaphorical source domains. In the present paper, we conducted three rating experiments (N total = 1,060 English-speaking participants) to determine the genderedness of 50 keywords associated with five frequently used source domains (building, competition, journey, plant, and war). We found that keywords associated with three source domains (building, competition, and war) were viewed as more masculine, while keywords associated with the source domains of journey and plant were viewed as more feminine. These data offer empirical verification for gendered perceptions of keywords associated with some frequently used source domains. The result also provides the first evidence that metaphors could encode gender stereotypes by selection of source domains.

To Hedge or Not to Hedge: A Pragmatic Study of Hedging in Jordanian Arabic

This study aims to explore the frequency of use and types of hedging devices produced by Jordanian Arabic speakers. The study also seeks to ascertain the pragmatic functions of hedging in Jordanian Arabic. Two types of instruments are employed; a survey instructing the participants to provide some instances from their daily use of language, representing hedging as a linguistic device in Jordanian Arabic and notes of daily observations that take place between friends, colleagues, and family members. A total of 763 hedgers of all types are piled from the daily observations and the survey comprising 86 participants. The data are analyzed and transformed into numerical values in the form of percentages. The findings of the study depict that hedging is a common linguistic device, characterizing Jordanian Arabic and the commonest type is compound hedgers with 50% of the total instances. The findings also reveal that hedging performs various functions in Jordanian Arabic: interpersonal politeness, subjectivity markers, vagueness, fuzziness, and depersonalization. The study presents a novel syntactic categorization of hedging in Jordanian Arabic that differs from Modern Standard Arabic and English.

THE STYLISTIC ORIGINALITY OF THE NOVEL “THE GLASS CASTLE” BY JEANNETTE WALLS

The article analyzes the linguistic and stylistic devices used by J. Walls which express the writer’s style of writing. The linguistic aspect of the writer’s creativity remains insufficiently studied since the researchers focused mainly on the literary aspect. The stylistics of the modern English language differs in a certain way from stable, traditional language forms. On the selected research material (Jannette Walls’s novel “The Glass Castle”) it can be seen that, over time, the allusions acquire a more modern character: in the mentioned novel, J. Walls refers not only to classic or ancient works (“Hercules”, “Lord of the Flies”) but even to more “simple” modern literature, children’s fairytale “The Wizard of Oz” by L. F. Baum. Allusion provides references and explanations that help the reader understand the meaning of symbols and places in the memoir. To enhance the effect, the writer sometimes uses jargon, vocabulary not inherent in traditional literature. J. Walls writes in such detail and uses so many images that the reader can visualize any described event. There is a lot of symbolism in the novel, and “The Glass Castle” is one of the most significant symbols of the work. It is also an extended metaphor for empty promises and false hopes. Comparison, which is used more often than any other stylistic means, makes the story real, bringing all the characters to life. Personification deserves special attention. Using this stylistic figure, the author reveals one of the main symbols of the novel – fire. As for Jeannette’s parents, they are frequently described with hyperbole. Thus, the use of certain stylistic means, their application, and their place in the novel plays an important role in creating a special and unique style of writing.

METAPHOR AS A MEANS OF THE LINGUO-CULTURAL CONCEPT “AMERICAN DREAM” VERBALIZATION – TRANSLATION ASPECT

The purpose of the article is to consider the problem of verbalization of the linguistic and cultural concept AMERICAN DREAM through metaphor in the works of F. S. Fitzgerald and in translations by M. Pinchevsky. The theoretical and methodological basis of our research isthe scientific works of O. Borysova, A. Bondarenko, O. Vorobiova, O. Ladyka, A. Ogar and others. The research methodology is comprehensive, using various methods and techniques, including the translation-comparative method of analyzing original and translated texts with the use of elements of contextual and quantitative analysis.The relevance of the study lies in the fact that the functions of F. S. Fitzgerald’s linguistic and stylistic devices were identified and investigated, namely, the construction of the figurative and conceptual structure of the work. The article reveals the concept, paying special attention to metaphors, their classification, use, and translation. The results of the study of the problem of verbalization of the linguistic and cultural concept AMERICAN DREAM through metaphor in F. S. Fitzgerald’s works and in M. Pinchevsky’s translations reveal the conceptual, syntactic and semantic components of the considered expressive means in the translation aspect, as well as show the differences in the language norms of English and Ukrainian, which is of great importance for improving the methods translation of texts loaded with linguistic and stylistic techniques.

Discourse Markers, Coherence and Its Impact on Cognitive Interpretation of Texts

A successful communication is evaluated by the ability of the audience to effectively comprehend the essence of a communication and to respond accordingly. Meanwhile, a communicative discourse is considered effective in its characteristics of demonstrating natural pauses and fillers, among others, which helps to communicate ideas more easily and naturally. Engaging any kind of discourse in coherent and fluent manners to enhance effective communication is sacrosanct to a communicator. This study focuses on the system of how discourse markers are instrumental to text fluency, coherence and, above all, how they function and are consciously structured to aid effective interpretations of a discourse. The study also attempts to examine the functional complexity of discourse markers in cohesive texts. The work relies on the views of many discourse and stylistic analysts not only to investigate the relationship between discourse markers and textual composition but to also address how instrumental they are to the effective comprehension of a text. The study reveals that Discourse Markers are not only characterised with linguistic devices that enhance textual coherence and fluency but also provide discourse clues that are instrumental to effective organisation of ideas and effective comprehension of meanings in a text.

Tiger, Advancing: Energéia, Adventure, Emergence in Goethe’s Novella

In a reading of Goethe’s exemplary Novella, the essay seeks to show that Juliane Vogel’s study of dramatic entrances can be made fruitful for the analysis of narrative Darstellung. In this late work, Goethe creatively appropriates the premodern tradition of the aventure or âventiure and redeploys it as a representation strategy. The Novella relates events in which elemental forces appear before the eyes of the characters. These forces are represented as advancing toward their spectators; charged with energy, they seem to be emerging from a background and approaching them. The essay analyzes the representational strategies and linguistic devices through which Goethe shapes these narrative scenes of advancing. Among them, the present participle plays a salient role. It is a means of grammatically forming energetic states and can be understood as a grammatical figuration of Goethe’s concept of form.

The Sorrows of the Old from the Gender of the Young: A Commentary on Korte, A. & Tschuschke, V. (2023). Media’s Stranglehold on Storm and Stress – The Sorrows of Generation Z about Sex and Gender

When Old People Suffer Because of the Sex of the Young: A Commentary on Korte, A. & Tschuschke, V. (2023). The Media's Stranglehold on Sturm und Drang - The Sorrows of Generation Z Regarding Sex and Gender Abstract: In their article "Sturm und Drang im Würgegriff der Medien - Die Leiden der jungen Generation am eigenen Geschlecht" in the Zeitschrift für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie (volume 51, issue 5), our colleagues Korte and Tschuschke address the question of the extent to which the increase in gender identity deviations among adolescents "also results from upheavals the cultural landscape and, above all, in media technology." The authors look critically at the planned German "Self-Determination Law," the social transition of children and adolescents, the so-called puberty blockade, and hormone therapy in adolescents and justify their preference for a gender-critical over a transaffirmative therapy approach. Although the article introduces some interesting hypotheses from the perspective of cultural studies and philosophy (among others), it may contribute to uncertainty among colleagues in treating trans*people because of its trans-critical tone. This stems from linguistic devices, misleading and erroneous quotations, and incomplete or incorrect descriptions of facts. This contribution therefore takes a critical look at the article by Korte and Tschuschke, using critical linguistic analysis and examining the facts, data, and sources cited by the authors. It encourages our colleagues to engage in a joint, participatory, trans*respectful treatment process with gender-dysphoric children and adolescents while exploring the sizeable intermediate area between "gender-critical" and "transaffirmative" attitudes, which the authors Korte and Tschuschke barely touch on in their article.

Features of Modern Comic Advertising

The purpose of this article is to analyze the texts of modern advertising with comic elements. Modern advertising is increasingly using various pragmatic strategies aimed at evoking emotions in the addressee. One of the effective ways to achieve this goal is to use humor and create a comic effect. Humor helps to attract the audience's attention and remember the advertising message. Advertising texts often use a variety of linguistic techniques and play with linguistic devices to achieve their goals. Speech polysemy of linguistic means, along with homonymy, functional syncretism, play with words, comic images and situations most often become the cause of the comic. In the analysis of advertising texts, the continuous sampling method was used. Its use helped to select more than 50 advertising texts with comic overtones. Quantitative analysis was used to quantify advertisements with comic elements and to survey men and women to determine the impact of such advertisements on their daily lives. During the research, it was revealed that advertising with comic elements is capable of more fully, informatively and clearly conveying information, emotions and values through a combination of verbal and non-verbal elements, taking into account the preferences and expectations of the target audience. The article can be used as an application for students of advertising science, some aspects of modern journalism and comic literature.

Formalism and Power of Language: Unravelling the Narratology of Final Fantasy XVI

Using the framework of formalist analysis, this study examines how language serves as a source of power in shaping the narrative depth, character development, and thematic exploration of Final Fantasy XVI. This research involves analyzing various types of language, from dialogue and narration to symbolism, metaphor, and simile. The research methodology employed is qualitative analysis, allowing for an in-depth examination of the linguistic complexities present in the game through textual analysis and content analysis. By thematically dissecting language and applying techniques from formalist linguistics, such as Deixis Analysis, the study aims to determine how game creators purposefully use linguistic techniques to construct emotional connotations and expressive effects. Additionally, it explores how witty dialogues between characters contribute to the development of story-related themes. This study reveals how the linguistic fabric of Final Fantasy XVI functions as an effective tool in crafting an engaging and powerful story. It draws players deeper into the game's world and evokes their sympathies for the various forces at play. Furthermore, the research highlights the intentional use of linguistic devices to enhance narrative immersion and emotional impact, showcasing the intricate interplay between language and storytelling in video games. Through this analysis, the study underscores the significance of linguistic elements in video game narratives, providing insights into how language can be manipulated to create compelling and immersive experiences for players.

Bridging the Worlds: Metaphor in Interdisciplinary Contexts

This conceptual article explores the role of metaphor in navigating and bridging the diverse realms from an interdisciplinary context. Metaphor, as both a linguistic device and a cognitive mechanism, is a powerful tool for transcending disciplinary boundaries, facilitating the exchange of ideas, and fostering innovation in language. This article built the concepts underlying mechanisms through which metaphor enables the synthesis of knowledge from Linguistics, Literature, History, Archeology, and Culture. Furthermore, the article examines the implications of metaphor use in interdisciplinary contexts, including its potential to enhance collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving. This article contributes to a deeper understanding of knowledge integration and synthesis dynamics in today’s increasingly interconnected academic investigations. In linguistics, metaphor is a powerful tool for understanding abstract notions through verbal expression. Metaphor in literature enhances narrative and symbolism by adding layers of meaning and emotion to writings. In history, metaphor is a tool through which people perceive events and narratives, affecting historical discourse and collective memory. In archaeology, metaphor assists the interpretation of material culture and reconstructs the former cultures and their symbolic systems. Metaphors are essential in cultural communication because they shape cultural narratives, identity formation, and social understanding.

The Grammar of Emotion Verbs in the Qurʾān: A Case Study of the verb xāfa

Abstract The concept of emotions has been studied from numerous perspectives in psychology, the history of emotions and religion. This study sheds light on the linguistic devices implemented to articulate emotions in the Qurʾān by taking the emotion verb xāfa ‘to fear’ or ‘to be afraid’ (and its derivatives) as a case study. In both modern and classical dictionaries of the Arabic language as well as in Quranic exegesis, the verb xāfa is often replaced by another verb that expresses fear such as xašiya ‘to be afraid’ or ‘to be in awe’. Here it is shown that the verb xāfa occurs in certain syntactic structures and has specific meanings that are not denoted by other verbs expressing fear in the Qurʾān. Specifically, when the verb xāfa is followed by a subordinate clause that starts with the particle ‘an, it can be rendered as ‘to fear’ or ‘to be afraid’ since the cause of this fear is a probable event. When the verb xāfa is followed by the preposition ‘alā it denotes ‘to fear for [the wellbeing of] someone (e.g., a family member)’ because of a situation in which they are likely to be found. When it is followed by the noun rabb ‘Lord’ or Allāh ‘God’, the verb refers to ‘fear of God’, where fear of His punishment motivates the people to worship Him. When the verbal noun xawf has no object and is used in conjunction with the verbal noun ‘amn (‘security’) it can be interpreted as ‘insecurity about something’. Because the verb xāfa is central to the religious concept of fear of God, it is used in the Qurʾān to express a general and collective attitude of fear or awe. However, xāfa is also used to express individual experiences of fright at specific times or places.

Reliving Situation in Learning Literary Text: The Initial Part of E. B. White’s “Once More to the Lake”

Theories concerning the situational factor in learning, SLT and situated cognition for instances, attach emphasis to the role of contextualization played in the effective learning. Based on a brief discussion of reliving situation, this paper probes into its application in learning literary text. The initial part of E. B. White’s “Once More to the Lake” serves as the material for the case study. It proves that in composing this autobiographical White makes full use of linguistic devices to recreate a vivid but past situation to relive specific part of his life experiences, involving his journeys to a Maine lake as child in the past and as a father now. Then, there is an implication that a learner of literary text should create continuous situations in reading so as to achieve a deeper understanding of an author, including his or her particular temperament and artistic style.

“Resident superhero”

Abstract Situated at the intersection of social media communication and pragmatics of language use online, this article will examine the social action of community veneration of a local plumber by members of a neighbourhood Facebook group, the vast majority of whom do not know each other personally (nor necessarily the plumber). Particular attention will be paid to the way in which this veneration is constructed over time through linguistic creativity and humour, such as limericks, exaggeration, and various terms of reverence and hero worship. In addition to these linguistic devices, it will be shown how the participants actively exploit the digital environment to create context-dependent humour through emojis, memes, and other graphics. The selected examples will illustrate how this collaborative veneration and playfulness also strengthen the sense of belonging in this group of online strangers.

The Image of the Patriot and the Enemy of the People in Selected Documents from the State Security Archive

The paper explores the linguistic devices and strategies used by State Security collab-orators to characterize the personalities and actions of targets of operational interest. On the one hand, the text examines documents from the State Security archives (re-cruitment offers and recruitment reports) that describe the ways in which new collabo-rators were recruited. On the other, the descriptions of the subjects of the reports in the reports are of interest. The research focuses on the communicative language pat-terns used and described in the relevant documents. As a source of excerpted material for scientific analysis, we used the book "Pastors Agents of the State Security Service" by Angel Pilev. Through an applied combination of research methods - lexical-semantic and discourse analysis, we search for lexical means with connotative load, as well as characterizing lexemes, building the opposite images - of the patriot informer and the enemy of the people reasons. By applying the close reading method, we aim at explicating the reader's point of view with minimal historical context. The linguistic material shows that the documents of the State Security build a very negative image of the enemy of the people. The strategy of the recruiters is also analyzed, emphasizing patriotic feelings, patriotic duty, expression of love for the motherland, and the noble deed to be done by the agents. The text emphasizes that it is to linguistics, along with other humanities that expectations are addressed for an objective, publicly accessible, and convincing interpretation of the era of socialism.

Strategies in Communicating and Enforcing Covid-19 Measures: A Rhetorical Analysis

The emergence of the COVID-19 virus in late 2019 initiated a global crisis, leading to millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide. Governments worldwide implemented various measures to curb the spread of the virus, including lockdowns, social distancing, and hygiene protocols. In response to these measures, leaders employed persuasive language techniques to encourage compliance and reassure citizens. This study explores the linguistic strategies used by four national leaders—Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Boris Johnson, and Uhuru Kenyatta—in their speeches addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis focuses on the rhetorical strategies employed, including ethos, logos, and pathos, as well as linguistic devices such as metaphors and enumeration. The findings of this study show that leaders strategically utilize persuasive language to convey information, evoke emotions, and inspire collective action. The study underscores the importance of understanding linguistic persuasion in effective communication during crises and highlights the relevance of classical rhetorical strategies in contemporary political discourse.

Al-Ḥajjāj’s rhetoric of intimidation and humiliation

Abstract This article discusses the strategy of intimidation and humiliation in Al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf al-Thaqafῑ’s most famous speech delivered in the city of Kufa in Iraq in the seventh century. The linguistic devices used by Al-Ḥajjāj are analyzed by applying the theory of Critical Discourse Analysis. This approach reveals his rhetoric of intimidation, humiliation, and emotional manipulation, reflecting Al-Ḥajjāj’s intention to act with extreme cruelty against the Kufa rebels. In this speech, he strove to normalize and legitimize violence against the rebels, for example, by likening the inhabitants of Kufa to animals, thereby framing the beheading and slaughtering of them as normal, in the way that animal slaughter is perceived as normal behavior.

Examining Biases in ABS-CBN Online News: A Framing Analysis of Reporting about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

ABS-CBN, a leading media entity in the Philippines, has often found itself embroiled in controversies surrounding accusations of bias, particularly in its coverage of President Ferdinand "Bong-Bong" Marcos Jr., commonly known as BBM. Various entities have often criticized the media for exaggeration, framing, and misinformation, whereas others have praised the media for fulfilling an informative and educational function for the public. To address this dilemma, this study specifically examined its linguistic devices and language bias to discern patterns of news framing. This was done using the Linguistic Devices Analytical Framework, the Epistemological and Framing Bias Tool, and Goffman's Theory of Framing. Findings reveal the exclusion of the inclusive language 'we,' and language bias reveals linguistic devices, such as factive verbs, entailments, assertive verbs, subjective intensifiers, and one-sided terms. With the interplay of these outcomes, ABS-CBN headlines exhibit a combination of positive, negative, and neutral news coverage, which aligns with the norms of balanced reporting, essential for audiences to understand the story from various perspectives. Generally, findings reveal an impartial framing of news headlines. Future research may conduct a longitudinal study with a comprehensive dataset of news headlines to explore the media’s intentions revealed through framing strategies.

Pinpointing Linguistic Emphasis in Classical Greek

Abstract Emphasis is a ubiquitous notion in classical scholarship, but its vagueness has repeatedly been criticized (and its usefulness, consequently, questioned) by Greek linguists. This brief study seeks to identify (and secure) a place for this notion in the analytical toolbox for the description of Classical Greek by applying the strict but nuanced definition of emphasis in Functional Discourse Grammar (Hengeveld and Mackenzie 2008) to the identification and classification of linguistic devices in the ancient language. In particular, this study argues for a distinction between emphasis as a rhetorical effect and emphasis as a communicative intention. In the former understanding, emphasis may be produced secondarily by a number of linguistic and rhetorical devices. Conversely, linguistic emphasis stricto sensu would only be conveyed by linguistic devices used primarily to intensify linguistic entities of any level (discourse acts, propositional contents, subacts).