Linguistic Origins Research Articles

Urdu, Persian, and (Even) English: Triangulating Postcolonial Literary History with The Making of Persianate Modernity

ABSTRACT This article highlights the advantages of taking a triangulated approach to colonial and postcolonial literary history as modeled by Alexander Jabbari’s The Making of Persianate Modernity: Language and Literary History between Iran and India. Jabbari’s reconsideration of literary modernity through the synchronous and multilingual exchange between Persian, Urdu, and English letters softens some of the assumed hierarchies that dominate Persianate and Anglophone studies, particularly. It furthermore underscores the unique perspective that Urdu writing on literary modernity offers scholars of world literature in light of the former’s associations with Persian in an intellectual climate that chiefly valued indigenized historiographies of linguistic origin.

Meanings of Basqueness: An Account from Brandomian Inferentialism on Basque Identity and Its Evolution

ABSTRACT In this paper, I will analyze how the conceptualization of the term ‘Basqueness’, and the meaning of ‘being Basque’, have been instrumental in determining the way in which citizens of the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC) have chosen to identify themselves. What it means to be Basque has experienced a significant evolution from its ethnic and linguistic origins to being a matter of feeling and doing; however, the way Basque citizens felt about Basqueness, and what actions participated in Basqueness, was substantially influenced by the climate of political polarization, the appropriation by nationalism of Basque symbols and features and the violence of terrorist organization ETA, as well as the justification of its crimes. Working from the semantic theory of Brandomian inferentialism, I want to show how these factors functioned as inferential relations that constituted the meaning of Basqueness. As these inferences changed with the dissolution of ETA and the easing of political polarization, what it means to be Basque has subsequently changed its meaning, which might contribute to explaining why in recent years an increasing number of people in the BAC have incorporated Basqueness into their mixed or liminal identities.

Machine-Based and Auditory Identification of Slavic Languages

This paper presents a comparison of auditory and machine-based identification of linguistic origins. Two studies were conducted to assess the ability of lay listeners and a stateof-the-art machine approach to identify Slavic L1 from delexicalized speech samples. The first study involved 228 native speakers of the four Slavic languages (Bulgarian, Czech, Polish and Russian) who had not received any prior training in Slavic philology, phonetics, linguistics, or forensic science. Their task was to identify the linguistic origins of speakers when exposed to limited phonetic cues. The stimuli consisted of meaningless logatomes to control for the lexical information. The second study employed machine-based identification of a spoken language, based on two distinct approaches: (1) formant structure of phonetic signal and (2) a neural network and vector representation of speech samples. The data showed that Slavic native speakers, even when exposed to limited auditory cues, are able to identify speakers’ L1s. Interestingly, in the context of the Bulgarian language, the machine-based identification method performed better than the lay listeners. The results of the experiments provide insight into the advantages of hybrid approaches in investigations related to LADO (Language Analyses for the Determination of Origin). Furthermore, the outcomes of this comparison may contribute to the debate on the involvement of native speakers in L1 identification procedures for closely related languages.

Hearing in the Holy Qur’an: A study of terminology and usage

Objectives: This article aims to investigate the true meaning of the term "hearing" in its Qur'anic context, based on a well-established scientific method beneficial for this purpose. Methods: This research addresses the term "hearing" through the method of terminological study, attempting to explore its meaning in the Qur'an. It particularly focuses on the comprehensive induction of the term's material, as well as lexicographical and textual studies within the limits of this research. The study is structured into an introduction, two main sections, and a conclusion. Results: The meaning of "hearing" in the Qur'an is based on its linguistic origin, centered on the concepts of penetrating into something and perceiving something with the ear. The term "hearing" in the Qur'an is characterized by the extensive volume of its material and the abundance and variety of its derivatives, indicating the importance of its concept within the Qur'anic terminology. This is especially evident with its frequent repetition in the surahs, using diverse and beautiful styles that vary according to different contexts. The study concludes by defining the Qur'anic term "hearing.". Conclusions: The verses mention "hearing" in its material sense related to perceiving sound with the ear and transition to its terminological sense involving understanding, acceptance, knowledge, awareness, submission, obedience, following the truth, and avoiding frivolity.

Speaking accuracy and fluency among EFL learners: The role of creative thinking, emotional intelligence, and academic enthusiasm

This study examines the associations between speaking accuracy and fluency among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners and emotional intelligence (EI), creative thinking (CT), and academic enthusiasm (AE). Quantitative data was used in a thorough analysis that was carried out utilizing a cross-sectional design. Three hundred and twenty EFL learners were chosen as a sample using a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. The creativity questionnaire by Abedi, the EI questionnaire by Schutte et al. and the AE questionnaire by Fredricks et al. were all completed by the participants. Quantitative data analysis was conducted using SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 24.0. The results showed a strong positive association between better speaking accuracy and fluency and greater levels of CT, EI, and AE. More precisely, learners with greater EI were able to control their emotions better, which improved their ability to speak clearly and fluently. Speaking performance was improved by those with higher CT because they showed improved problem-solving abilities and linguistic originality. High AE was also associated with better language practice and competence due to higher desire and involvement. These findings imply that encouraging CT, EI, and AE in language learning settings can greatly improve learners’ speaking ability. To better understand the impact of other elements on speaking proficiency, future research should look into motivation, self-esteem, and learning methodologies.

Review on Multi-lingual Sentiment Analysis in Health Care

Multilingual sentiment analysis in healthcare is rapidly expanding, utilizing machine learning methods to identify emotions and sentiments in material written in several languages. This multidisciplinary field integrates computational linguistics, natural language processing, and health informatics to help healthcare providers better comprehend patient attitudes. Sentiment analysis is particularly useful in the healthcare industry since it facilitates comprehension of patient feedback, responses to interventions, and general contentment. Moreover, in an increasingly interconnected society, it can assist in recognizing the emotional states and concerns of patients from diverse linguistic origins. Healthcare providers can improve care and service by gaining insights into patient experiences through the analysis of patient reviews, social media posts, and other kinds of feedback in several languages. Sentiment analysis, for example, can be used to track patients' mental health over time and identify symptoms of depression or anxiety based on their interactions. These applications are becoming increasingly important for adjusting patient support and care, fostering better patient-provider communication, and eventually improving health outcomes. There are difficulties when implementing sentiment analysis in a multilingual setting, such as the requirement for extensive datasets in several languages and models that are sensitive to cultural quirks and context. By offering a foundation for creating more precise and sophisticated sentiment analysis systems that can function in a variety of linguistic and cultural contexts, advances in AI models, such as BERT and GPT variations, are assisting in addressing these issues. Recall that although sentiment analysis holds great potential, its use in healthcare needs to be done carefully to protect patient privacy and take ethical considerations into account. Sentiment analysis in healthcare can also assist in identifying unfulfilled medical and emotional demands of long-term patients, supporting patient-centred care models. In general, the incorporation of multilingual sentiment analysis into healthcare presents a multitude of opportunities and represents a promising facet of artificial intelligence's potential to enhance patient care outcomes and experiences.

Public transit commuting among U.S. immigrants: The role of English skills

Using 2021 5-year American Community Survey, we empirically examine the effect of English proficiency on public transit ridership among immigrant commuters. To solve the endogeneity problem of English proficiency, we employ an instrumental variable strategy designed based on the interaction term between the age at arrival and non-Anglophone linguistic origin. English skills have a mixed role in explaining commuters’ travel behaviors: On the one hand, immigrants from English-speaking countries are more likely to commute by public transit than those from non-English-speaking countries. On the other hand, controlling for countries of origin, there is a moderate, negative association between English proficiency and public transit commuting among immigrants. Such an association is spatially heterogeneous: the association is statistically significant only in counties where public transit is a common commuting option.

The speech genre specifics of educational audio podcasts

In the modern media field, new formats implemented in the Internet space are gaining more and more popularity. Convergent processes generate new forms of media content. One of these phenomena is the audio podcast, which is currently not sufficiently studied, many aspects need scientific reflection. In particular, the speech-genre specificity of audio podcasts is of research interest. The object of the undertaken research is educational audio podcasts presented on the platform Smotrim.ru ("100 Minutes" – 26 issues, "Literary squabbles" – 11 issues, "Conversations about literature" – 14 issues, "Diary of his Wife" – 11 issues) and Polka.academy ("Between the lines" – 17 issues), published from 2021 to 2024. The purpose of the article is to identify and describe the basic secondary speech genre, representing its primary speech genres objectified in the media texts under study. To achieve the stated goal, both general scientific research methods and private techniques used in media linguistics and media stylistics are used – comparison and interpretation of linguistic facts, speech-genre analysis of media texts. The study of media texts in the context of speech genre studies is relevant and promising, since this research paradigm allows us to identify and describe the basic structural elements of the genre, communicative specifics, intentions and roles of the addressee, to determine the linguistic and stylistic originality of the represented texts. The article presents various points of view on the phenomenon of audio podcasting, formulates its definition, which takes into account not only the technical properties of audio podcasts, but also their content specifics, provides classifications of audio podcasts, systematizes approaches to understanding and researching speech genres, identifies and characterizes the basic secondary speech genre of informative conversation, as well as dominant primary speech included in its structure genres.

Mapping the evidence on factors related to postpartum contraception among sub-Saharan African immigrant and refugee women in the United States of America: A scoping review protocol.

Postpartum contraception is essential to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care because it encourages healthy spacing between births, helps women avoid unwanted pregnancies, and lessens the risks of health problems for mothers and babies. Sub-Saharan African immigrant and refugee populations are rapidly increasing in the United States, and they come from a wide range of cultural, linguistic, religious, and social origins, which may pose challenges in timely access to culturally acceptable SRH care, for preventing mistimed or unwanted childbearing. The objective of this scoping review is to assess the extent of the available literature on postpartum contraception among sub-Saharan African immigrant and refugee women living in the United States. We developed preliminary search terms with the help of an expert librarian, consisting of keywords including birth intervals, birth spacing, contraception, postpartum contraception or family planning, and USA or America, and sub-Saharan African immigrants, or emigrants. The study will include the following electronic databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, EMBASE, and the Global Health Database. The sources will include studies on postpartum care and contraceptive access and utilization among sub-Saharan African immigrants living in the US. Citations, abstracts, and full texts will be independently screened by two reviewers. We will use narrative synthesis to analyze the data using quantitative and qualitative methods. Factors associated with postpartum contraception will be organized using the domains and constructs of the PEN-3 Model as a guiding framework. This scoping review will map the research on postpartum contraception among sub-Saharan African immigrant and refugee women living in the US. We expect to identify knowledge gaps, and barriers and facilitators of postpartum contraception in this population. Based on the findings of the review, recommendations will be made for advocacy and program and policy development toward optimizing interpregnancy intervals in sub-Saharan African immigrants living in the US. Review registration Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/s385j.

An interoperable software system to store, associate, visualize, and publish global open science data of earth surface system

Multi-source heterogeneous, multi-modal, and multi-type open scientific data (e.g., thematic sharing sites, metadata, journal articles, etc.) on earth surface systems (EES) provide important data sources for knowledge mining, discovery, and accurate recommendations, and also pose increasing challenges, resulting in the need to develop appropriate tools to address these challenges and support decision-making. This paper constructs an interoperable software system to store, visualize, and publish open science data of ESS. Utilizing an open scientific data catalogue repository encompassing EES information as foundational input and employing an integrated modeling methodology, this system endeavors to synthesize heterogeneous surface data of diverse linguistic, sourced, and typological origins. The objective is to facilitate multidimensional data retrieval and precise data auto-recommendation, thereby fostering the dissemination of scientific data and facilitating value-added services within EES domain. The tool may be used by stakeholders including researchers, data analysts, policymakers and national authorities to support decision-making on questions ranging from locating the location of open data related to the topic, to discovering high-quality data, selecting the data with the better overall evaluation. Along with a description of the system/platform design process, its structure, and the constituent models, key results are presented relating to the user interface, and several application examples. Software systems can help modelers to use the best features of a single software tool to answer open scientific data-related questions that seek to discovery, use, comparison or synthesis within or across topics of ESS.

Effectiveness Assessment and Optimization of Cross-Language Comparative Learning Algorithms in English Learning

This study looks into the usefulness of cross-language comparison learning algorithms for enhancing English language acquisition among adult learners from various linguistic origins. In this study, two different algorithms, Algorithm A and Algorithm B, were systematically assessed to determine their impact on two critical components of language learning: listening comprehension and spoken fluency. A group of people including 100 adult learners participated in the study, taking exams customized to measure their proficiency in listening comprehension and speaking fluency. The evaluation indicated significant disparities in the efficacy of the two algorithms. Algorithm A outperformed Algorithm B, with higher mean scores in both comprehension and fluency evaluations. The results highlight the potential of optimized cross-language comparative learning algorithms to improve language learning outcomes, particularly in the context of English language acquisition. These algorithms show promise in meeting the different requirements and preferences of English language learners by leveraging computational approaches and multilingual data to effectively scaffold language learning processes. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the need for additional research to improve algorithmic designs and assess the long-term competence outcomes related to the usage of cross-language comparative learning algorithms. Embracing new technologies provides promising prospects to improve the effectiveness of English language instruction, encourage linguistic variety, and prepare students to succeed in an interconnected global society.

Obligation to know the state language: analysis of legal regulation based on current legislation and decisions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine

The scientific article states that the state language is an important component of national identity and the issue of ensuring the protection and development of the state language in the context of globalization and the diversity of linguistic communities is an important aspect of ensuring the equality of all citizens, regardless of their linguistic and ethnic origin.
 The author points out that a significant role in the process of ensuring the possession and development of the state language, as a basis for full participation of citizens in the life of the country, effective communication in the public and political spheres, is played by the obligation to master the state language. It is proposed to define such an obligation as a type of legal obligation, the established necessity of the behavior of a person and a citizen, which is guaranteed and provided by the state in the interests of the person himself and other persons, society, the state within the limits and order provided by the legislation of Ukraine for the purpose of protecting the Ukrainian language and preservation of national identity.
 The article emphasizes that non-fulfillment or improper fulfillment of the obligation to speak the state language can entail a number of negative consequences both for a specific person and for society as a whole, namely: a) violation of constitutional guarantees of human rights; b) violation of principles of equality and non­discrimination between citizens of Ukraine; c) violation of the principle of linguistic unity and the emergence of inter-ethnic conflicts; d) failure to preserve cultural and national heritage; e) a decrease in the level of trust of citizens in power structures and the system of government bodies as a whole, etc.
 It is proposed in Chapter II of the Constitution of Ukraine to strengthen the provisions of Art. 10 of the Basic Law of Ukraine and in order to implement the relevant decisions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine to include the duty of a citizen of Ukraine to know and master the state language, which will act as a guarantee of the protection of the Ukrainian language as the state language, ensure its priority use in society and state institutions, and serve to support and affirm linguistic unity and preserving the national identity of society.

Ethnodoxological Reflection on the Choral Arrangement ‘Zamina Mina Yeako Aba’: The Arranger’s Perspective

Ethnodoxological Reflection on the Choral Arrangement ‘Zamina Mina Yeako Aba’: The Arranger’s Perspective

The Hidden Indonesian Language Literacy Curriculum In Arabic Language Textbooks For Islamic Junior High School

Many religious-based schools and universities in Indonesia have widely implemented Arabic language textbooks as a learning material. However, Arabic is often considered challenging to learn due to its distinct linguistic origin from the Indonesian language. Therefore, there is a need for effective methods to facilitate students in learning Arabic just as they learn Indonesian. Surprisingly, a covert approach to learning Indonesian is also applied to studying Arabic. There are influential Arabic language textbooks that teach Indonesian grammar implicitly. This research aims to analyze the presence of curriculum of Indonesian language literacy in Arabic language textbooks, mainly for grades VII, VIII, and IX in Indonesian Islamic Junior High Schools (Madrasah Tsanawiyah or MTs). These textbooks were published by the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia in 2020. The research method used is a qualitative descriptive approach, which involves content analysis of each chapter in these three books. The research findings reveal a significant amount of Indonesian language literacy content in Arabic textbooks. This content appears as explanations that serve as material clarification for students. Notably, the Indonesian language explanations account for 10% of the grade VII textbooks and 2% of the grade VIII and IX textbooks. Three forms of Indonesian language literacy content were successfully identified: language for comprehension introduction, comparison, and grammar contextualization.

Understanding through the Numbers: Number Systems, Their Evolution, and Their Perception among Kula People from Alor Island, Southeastern Indonesia

This paper aims at documenting and reconstructing the linguistic processes generating and substantiating the use of number systems, numbers in general, elementary arithmetic, and the related concepts and notions among the Kula people from Alor Island, Southeastern Indonesia. The Kula is a Papuan population from the Alor–Pantar Archipelago (Timor area). The name of their language, Kula (or Kola), corresponds to the ethnonym. The language is, currently, endangered and not completely documented. At the level of linguistic features, numeral systems and the terms for numerals from Eastern Alor exhibit, to some extent, unique characteristics, if compared to other languages spoken in other sectors of the island. Therefore, the Kula numbering system is not only significant at the lexicological and lexicographic level, but also represents the essential role of cognitive strategies (e.g., the choice of the base for the numbering systems and the visual representation of counting with the aid of actual ‘objects’, like hands and fingers) in the coinage of numerical terms among the local speakers. Indeed, the development of numeral systems reflects the evolution of human language and the ability of humans to construct abstract numerical concepts. The way numerals are encoded and expressed in a language can impact the patterns according to which numerical notions are conceptualized and understood. Different numeral systems can indicate variations in cognitive processes involving notions of quantities and measurements. Therefore, the structure and characteristics of a numeral system may affect how numeral concepts are mentally represented and developed. This paper focuses on the number system of the Kula people and the lexical units used by the local speakers to indicate (and to explain) the numbers, with the related concepts, notions, and symbolism. The investigation delves into the degrees of abstraction of the Kula numeral system and tries to ascertain its origins and reconstruct it. Moreover, the article applies to the analysis a comparative approach, which takes into account several Papuan and Austronesian languages from Alor Island and Eastern Timor, with the dual aim of investigating, at a preliminary level, a possible common evolution and/or divergent naming processes in local numbering systems and their historical–linguistic and etymological origins.

Mapping ‘metabolism’ in Marx’s Capital

This philological study investigates the German term Stoffwechsel, commonly translated as ‘metabolism,’ a concept central to biological processes in organisms. Originating from the natural sciences, Stoffwechsel is adopted, appropriated, and allegorized in Marx's Capital Volume 1, where it plays a key role in his critique of capitalism. The study adopts a dual analytical approach that mirrors the two metabolic processes: catabolism and anabolism. The catabolic phase traces the term's historical and linguistic origins, charting its incorporation into Marx's lexicon. The anabolic phase explores how Marx transforms Stoffwechsel and assesses the term’s philosophical and political implications within his ecological critique of capitalism. By drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship from political economy, linguistic philology, intellectual history, and the history of science, this study the pivotal role and evolving meaning of Stoffwechsel within Marx's critique of the economy, offering a comprehensive account of its significance in the Marxist canon.

Exploring the Linguistic and Character Origins of Guqin Minuscule Score

Exploring the Linguistic and Character Origins of Guqin Minuscule Score

Don Quixote, Benengeli and Coetzee’s Jesus Trilogy

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the central role of Don Quixote (1605, 1615) in J.M. Coetzee’s Jesus novels, arguing for the relevance of the fact that it is Benengeli, the fictional Moorish historian – and not Cervantes – who is presented as the author of the Spanish novel. This is first explored in relation to the analogy that The Childhood of Jesus (2013) makes between authorship and paternity, along with the depiction of the relationship between authors and characters as one of temporary, non-substantial stepfatherhood. The disruption of Don Quixote’s authorship/paternity also traverses the trilogy’s questioning of linguistic origins, and concern with linguistic processes of estrangement, displacement and irony. Finally, Cervantes’s absence in Coetzee’s novels is examined in relation to David’s act of trust and blind belief in the character of Don Quixote, a response to both the performative power of words and the capacity of literary characters to outstrip their original authors.

Naming the menagerie: creativity, culture and consequences in the formation of scientific names.

The coining of scientific names for newly described species is one of the most creative acts in science. We briefly review the history of species naming, with an emphasis on constraints and freedoms in the choice of new names and how they came to be. We then consider patterns in etymologies and linguistic origins of scientific names across clades and through time. Use of 'non-classical' languages (those other than Latin and Greek) in naming species has increased, as has the use of eponymous names (despite recent controversy around the practice). Finally, we consider ways in which creativity in naming has consequences for the conduct and outcome of scientific work. For example, sale of naming rights has funded research and conservation, while naming species after celebrities has increased media attention to the science of species discovery. Other consequences of naming are more surprising, including a strong effect of species-name etymology on the kinds of scientific studies conducted for plant-feeding arthropods. Scientific naming is a clear example of how science and scientists are socially situated, and how culturally influenced decisions such as what to name a new species can affect both public perception of science and the conduct of science itself.

Читательское отождествление с образом персонажа: механизмы интегративного подхода

The article summarizes theoretical ideas from several areas of knowledge in order to form a comprehensive view of the mechanisms underlying the reader’s identification with the character’s image. By the example of the prose by B.Y. Poplavsky, the constructive importance of the deictic shift in the narrator’s narrative is emphasized, which leads to the reader’s immersion in the processes of processing explicable information, loss of self-perception. Another approach focuses on the processes of constructing the author’s message: when perceiving the narrative, the reader is stimulated to use background knowledge necessary for comparison with the state of affairs described in the text at the moment. The relationship between these sequentially activated processes is conceptualized: the deictic shift and immersion in the narrative becomes the basis for the relevant interpretation of the narrative, which precedes its impact on the reader’s emotional and volitional sphere and imagination. It is concluded that the deictic shift observed in the narrative turns out to be one of the basic mechanisms of reader text processing, explication of the mental model of interpersonal relationships between characters, fixed by the narrator. The authors believe that the processes underlying the deictic shift and the mental reconstruction of the storyline together determine the reader’s sense of immersion in the literary text. The study establishes clear relationships between the linguistic originality of a literary text and various kinds of reactions of the reader perceiving this text. The reader’s going beyond his psychological and intellectual «Self», his immersion in the text provides an alternative experience that feels as if it unfolds in the format of real everyday life. It is established that changing the character’s point of view to the interlocutor character provides a relevant understanding of the narrative scenario, functions as a simulation controlled by the author in a recreated imaginary world. Fixing attention on deictic transitions in the perception of the characters’ images by the narrator entails the reader’s experiences of strong emotions similar to those experienced as a spontaneous reaction to similar situations in everyday reality.