Linguistic Phenomena Research Articles

Minecrafting the French language: classification of lexical creation processes for analyzing the presence of (neo)terminology in the discourse of the French-speaking community of Minecraft

ABSTRACT This article provides a theoretical framework on lexical creation processes which, for future works, will serve to analyze the presence and the integration of English (neo)terminology into the discourse of the French-speaking community of the videogame Minecraft. By classifying internal and external word-formation processes, the author builds a foundation for future corpus-based analysis. The study examines borrowing and calque mechanisms and tries to provide the first clues to understand how game-specific terms and anglicisms enter French-language discourse in the game community. It ponders on the diglossic influence of English, often preferred due to its conciseness and global prevalence in gaming. Ultimately, the study’s framework sets the stage for empirical research on cross-linguistic influences, in the hope of revealing patterns of linguistic phenomena and terminology use within the French-speaking community of Minecraft.

Trends and sustainability of semantic rhetoric translation research: Insights from bibliometric analysis

Semantic rhetoric translation (SRT) refers to the cross-linguistic semantic reconstruction of various linguistic phenomena in all genres, encompassing metaphor, metonymy, irony and hyperbole, which are constructed through semantic variation or deviation of concepts. Recently, much literature has grown around the theme of SRT but with little attention paid to the research sustainability of such a field. To sketch the research trends of SRT, the study conducts a bibliometric analysis of hundreds of journal articles from 2003 to 2022 on Web of Science (WoS) database by CiteSpace and VOSviewer. Our findings are as follows: (1) The annual publications have exhibited a robust growth and the prolific contributions are primarily disseminated across the domains of translation studies, psychology and linguistics. Moreover, the geographic concentration of SRT research is notably in Europe, North America, Oceania and Asia; (2) There has been an evolution toward interdisciplinarity and quantitative research in the SRT field over the past two decades. These sustainability trends underscore the pivotal stage where SRT is transitioning from practical application towards pure theoretical abstraction in model construction; (3) In future research, investigations seem poised to explore three key areas: translation theoretical modelling, translation technology advancement, and collaborative research endeavours.

Motivational Mechanisms and Semantic Structures of Polysemous Nominal Nouns in the Kazakh Language

This study explores the polysemous nature of nominal nouns in the Kazakh language through an in-depth examination of their semantic structure and motivational mechanisms. By focusing on both primary and secondary meanings of lexemes, the research classifies polysemy into several distinct types — namely, derived, figurative, dialectal, and terminological — based on linguistic, ethnolinguistic, and cultural factors. While polysemy is a cross-linguistic phenomenon, its nationally specific characteristics and culturally embedded motivations in Kazakh offer a unique perspective for cognitive-semantic interpretation. The paper applies a combination of componential, etymological, and ethnolinguistic analyses to examine how lexical meanings evolve from core referents to metaphorical and context-dependent interpretations. Findings reveal that Kazakh polysemous nouns are shaped by formal, functional, material, spatial, and associative motivations. Furthermore, motivational chains exhibit varying levels of complexity: simple, parallel, sequential, and parallel-sequential models are observed across examples. The study provides a typology of semantic shifts, highlighting intricate relationships among lexical meanings from both diachronic and synchronic perspectives. Ultimately, the research demonstrates that polysemy in Kazakh is not merely a linguistic phenomenon but also a cognitive and cultural one, deeply embedded in the worldview and lived experience of its speakers. These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of semantic derivation and nomination theory within Turkic linguistics.

Negotiating Identity through Code-Switching: A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Bapsi Sidhwa’s An American Brat

In multilingual and multicultural contexts, language plays a vital role in shaping and expressing identity. One significant linguistic phenomenon, code-switching, the alternation between two or more languages or language varieties serve as a powerful tool for negotiating cultural belonging and self-representation. This study examines code-switching as a strategy of identity negotiation in Bapsi Sidhwa’s An American Brat (1993), a novel that traces the transnational journey of Feroza Ginwalla, a young Parsi girl from Pakistan who undergoes a cultural transformation in the United States. The primary objective is to analyze how Feroza’s code-switching reflects her evolving identity, highlighting tensions between tradition and modernity, and between her native and adopted cultures. This research adopts a sociolinguistic and discourse-analytic framework, drawing on the works of Carol Myers-Scotton and Peter Auer (1993) to interpret how code-switching conveys social positioning, resistance, and assimilation. The findings of the study suggest that Feroza’s shifting language use mirrors her personal growth and the complexities of diasporic identity. Code-switching emerges as a site of cultural negotiation, where language both challenges and redefines boundaries. The study contributes to sociolinguistic and postcolonial scholarship and suggests further research into how multilingualism in literature reflects real-world identity formation among diasporic communities navigating hybrid cultural landscapes.

A Contrastive Study of Foregrounding in English And Uzbek Languages

Foregrounding is a linguistic and stylistic phenomenon that intentionally deviates from conventional language norms to create emphasis, aesthetic appeal, or emotional impact. This paper conducts a comprehensive contrastive analysis of foregrounding techniques in English and Uzbek, examining grammatical structures, lexical innovations, and stylistic devices in literary and media texts. The study reveals that English foregrounding frequently relies on syntactic rearrangements, phonetic patterns, and lexical creativity, whereas Uzbek employs morphological flexibility, proverbial parallelism, and culturally embedded metaphors. By comparing these strategies, the research highlights how linguistic typology and cultural context shape rhetorical expression. The findings contribute to cross-linguistic stylistics, offering insights into how different languages manipulate form and meaning for artistic and communicative effects.

THE PRESENT ACTIVE PARTICIPLES IN THE BULGARIAN AND GREEK LANGUAGES – MEANINGS AND USAGE. FUNCTIONAL EQUIVALENTS OF THE BULGARIAN PRESENT PARTICIPLE IN THE GREEK LANGUAGE

This article examines the present active participles in Bulgarian and Greek, their meanings and usage in both languages, as well as the functional equivalents of the Bulgarian present active participle in Greek. From a typological point of view, we can assign the present active participles to the category of linguistic phenomena that exist in both languages under consideration. While they perform similar functions, there is a significant difference in terms of their frequency of use in both languages. In the case of the present active participles we can formulate the hypothesis that in Bulgarian their use is much wider than in Greek. This difference led to further research, the results of which are presented in this report. Applying the extended model of comparative analysis, at the beginning an analysis of the present active participles in both languages at the systemic level (their formation, meanings, usage) is presented. The study then proceeds to the speech level, i.e. to the level of concrete realization of the present active participles in speech through the analysis of a translated corpus. The translation correspondences of the Bulgarian present active participle in Greek are presented, the dominant functional equivalent is indicated and the remaining functional equivalents are identified.

“I observe other women and, just like a spectator, I observe myself.”Remarks on the linguistic creation of a woman in Blessed Natalia Tułasiewicz’s diary Zapiski z lat 1938–1943

This paper attempts to reconstruct the linguistic creation of a woman on the basis of the preserved and published volumes of the intimate diary of Blessed Natalia Tułasiewicz. Its methodological basis is the concept of linguistic creation, taken from the works of Teresa Skubalanka, and used to reconstruct the depiction of selected stages of a woman’s journey (engagement, motherhood, marriage or the choice of singlehood), rather than the image of a specific figure. The selection of the fragments studied is based mainly on the themed presence of the lexeme woman (and its derivatives). The analysis presents the predominant perspectives in the work: the subjectivity and self-referentiality of the writing, as well as selected linguistic phenomena (monologue, first-person narration, stylistic care, generalisation, contrast, comparison).

A Mixed-Methods Study of Creole Minangkabau Language of Chinese Speakers in Padang, Indonesia: Implications for Second or Third Language Learning

This study investigated the emergence of the Creole Minangkabau Language (CML), which is a unique linguistic phenomenon that resulted from the contact between Minangkabau, Indonesian, and Chinese languages in Padang, Indonesia. CML has evolved over centuries, and was shaped by social, economic, and cultural interactions between the Chinese and Minangkabau communities. Using a mixed-method approach (qualitative, descriptive, and distributional analysis), this research analyzed phonological, morphological, and lexical changes in CML. The study sample consisted of 1,101 data points drawn from six word groups according to their linguistic origins. Findings reveal that Minangkabau serves as the matrix language, while Indonesian and Chinese contribute vocabulary and structural elements. Regular patterns of phoneme omission, vowel shifts, and diphthong simplification were identified, which reflect systematic linguistic adaptation. The study connects these findings to contemporary theories of language contact, such as bilingual optimization strategies and pidginization-creolization processes. Social factors, including economic integration and cultural assimilation, played a crucial role in shaping CML. This research contributes to the understanding of Creole languages in Southeast Asia and highlights the dynamic interplay between language and identity. Furthermore, this study highlights the potential of CML as a tool for second or third language learning, particularly in multilingual contexts. By integrating cultural and linguistic elements, CML can serve as a bridge for learners to acquire other languages, such as Minangkabau, Indonesian, or even Mandarin. The findings contribute to the literature on language contact and creolization while providing practical insights into language education policies in multicultural societies.

Câteva dificultăți de natură morfosintactică în învățarea limbii române ca limbă străină ●●● Some Morphosyntactic Difficulties in Learning Romanian as a Foreign Language

The present study seeks to examine specific morphosyntactic challenges encountered in oral and written activities at the A1 and A2 proficiency levels by Serbian learners of Romanian as a foreign language at the University of Novi Sad. Drawing on morphosyntactic errors identified during linguistic interactions in seminar settings, the analysis adopts methodologies from contrastive linguistics, applied linguistics, and inter-linguistics. The first analytical approach focuses on the identification of grammatical and semantic deviations, with the aim of extrapolating pedagogically relevant rules that facilitate a deeper comprehension of the target language. The second approach endeavours to contextualise the observed linguistic phenomena within a broader theoretical framework. At the introductory levels of language acquisition (A1 – A2), it is essential to provide learners with clearly defined patterns and morphosyntactic structures that can be readily understood and effectively applied across analogous linguistic contexts. At this stage, imitation emerges as a fundamental mechanism in the acquisition process. With the advancement of research in applied linguistics, a more coherent understanding can be developed regarding the implementation of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This includes clarifying which aspects of linguistic competence are being targeted, the methodologies through which they are operationalised, and the progression from basic to more complex linguistic structures. As learners advance through successive proficiency levels, morphosyntactic patterns tend to diversify and exhibit increased complexity and nuance. The identification and systematic explanation of these patterns contribute to learners’ engagement with the Sprachgeist – the underlying linguistic worldview – through which language structures reality in a manner akin to reconstructing a complex, interlocking puzzle.

Addressing Untranslatability: ChatGPT’s Compensatory Strategies for Translating Verbified Proper Nouns in English–Arabic Contexts

This research paper examines ChatGPT's methodologies for addressing the untranslatability challenges posed by verbified proper nouns in English-Arabic translation. The process of denominalization, whereby proper nouns are converted into verbal forms, presents substantial translation difficulties due to its complex intersection of linguistic structure and cultural context. Previous scholarship by Phrisan et al. (2021) has investigated verbified proper nouns specifically in English, demonstrating their unique linguistic transformations and the cultural connotations they carry. Parallel research by Sattar et al. (2023) has explored the phenomenon of verbified common nouns in both Arabic and English, providing valuable insights into the cross-linguistic dimensions of this linguistic process. However, the academic literature currently lacks a focused examination of how verbified proper nouns are handled in translation between Arabic and English, particularly within the realm of artificial intelligence-assisted translation. The present study addresses this research gap by analyzing ChatGPT's approach to this complex translation issue, utilizing Newmark's (1988) theoretical framework on translation strategies. Our findings indicate that ChatGPT employs a user-oriented approach predicated on an assumption of minimal shared cultural knowledge with the end user. This approach leads the AI system to consistently adopt semantic translation strategies, prioritizing the accurate conveyance of meaning and intended effect from the source language to the target language. While this method ensures comprehension and maintains the original text's impact for the target audience, our analysis reveals that its effectiveness remains subject to specific contextual conditions. This investigation makes a significant contribution to understanding AI capabilities in handling linguistically and culturally complex translation tasks. The study highlights both the potential of large language models in overcoming translation challenges and their current limitations when dealing with specialized linguistic phenomena like verbified proper nouns. These findings have important implications for the future development of AI translation systems and their application in cross-cultural communication contexts.

Regional approach in English language teaching

This paper demonstrates the results of the study on realization of regional approach in English language teaching at universities. The regional approach contributes to the formation of student’s personality as a worthy representative of any place. When it is included into teaching a foreign language it can also help students become familiar with the treasures of their own country’s culture, which is essential for the harmonious development of a modern personality. In addition, the realization of regional approach in the process of teaching English language allows students not only to better understand and assimilate individual linguistic phenomena and cultural realities but also to prepare students for future professional activities in their region. The aim of this research study is to examine students' regional awareness and assess the effectiveness of regional materials in teaching English. The experiment was conducted to determine whether awareness of regional materials in teaching English could enhance students' English language skills. The results of the experiment indicate that the majority of students understand the necessity of including regional content in the teaching process, and regional materials contribute to the development of students’ English language skills. The authors of the article believe that their recommendations will facilitate the realization of the regional approach in English teaching.

Exploring the Relationship Between Mental Boundary Strength and Phonetic Accommodation.

We motivate a possible relationship between the psychological concept of mental boundaries and the linguistic phenomenon of phonetic accommodation, proposing that thinner boundaries may indicate a greater disposition to phonetically adapt to an interlocutor. To enable research on this relationship with German speakers, we translated the English short version of the Boundary Questionnaire (BQ-Sh), an established instrument for measuring the strength of mental boundaries, and demonstrated that the resulting German adaptation (BQ-Sh-G) can be used equivalently to the BQ-Sh. As the Big Five personality traits have previously been considered in research on both mental boundaries and phonetic accommodation, we explored the relationship between the BQ-Sh-G and the NEO-Five Factor Inventory. Consistent with previous literature, the BQ-Sh-G score correlated positively with Neuroticism and Openness, as well as negatively with Conscientiousness. We collected BQ-Sh-G scores from participants of an experiment on phonetic accommodation in a human-computer interaction context, specifically investigating the realization of the word ending 〈-ig〉 and the intonation of wh-questions in German. The analysis revealed a tendency for thicker mental boundaries to correspond with more convergence to 〈-ig〉 variants. Taking into account the results of previous work exploring the influence of the Big Five on the same data, we conclude that speakers may accommodate to different types of phonetic features depending on different personality traits. We encourage future work to investigate this further, while also exploring the predictive potential of the boundary construct with respect to a general disposition to phonetic accommodation, that is, examining a large number of phonetic features simultaneously.

The Use of Tag Question in a Fairy Tale

This study examines the use of tag questions in fairy tale dialogues, specifically in the story Why Doesn’t the Rabbit Have a Long Tail?, motivated by the limited research on this linguistic phenomenon in contemporary children’s literature. The objectives are to identify the forms of tag questions, analyze their communicative functions in character interactions, and explore their impact on meaning conveyance, character development, and narrative dynamics. Employing a qualitative descriptive method with a library research approach, data were collected from the fairy tale text and supported by relevant academic sources, then analyzed pragmatically and syntactically to gain a comprehensive understanding of tag question usage. Based on the analysis of the fairy tale, it was found that the explicit use of formal tag questions is very limited, appearing only around four to five times. However, reflective questions functioning similarly are more prevalent and play a crucial role in expressing the protagonist’s inner conflict, fostering emotional engagement with readers, and reinforcing the moral message of the story. Therefore, tag questions and reflective interrogatives serve as effective linguistic strategies that enrich dialogue, enliven characters, and make the narrative more interactive and meaningful. This provides important contributions to linguistic studies in literature and benefits writers and educators in children’s literature.

THE ROLE OF VERBAL ASSOCIATIONS IN THE FORMATION OF PARADIGMS

This article analyzes the issue of linguistic paradigms, which is considered an important phenomenon in linguistics. The issue of the roleof associative thinking in the formation of different paradigms has been studied.

Peculiarities of Metathesis in Kunha Language

This paper focuses on metathesis, a linguistic phenomenon observed in the unique language called Kunha, a part of the North-Dravidian language family, where sounds are swapped within words. So, instead of the anticipated order of ..xy.. in a sequence of participating sounds, we encounter ..yx.. The final segments of a word can vary depending on the context; in some cases, they appear as a vowel followed by a consonant, while in others, they may be a consonant followed by a vowel. Metathesis in the Kunha language (Odisha, India), analysing its phonological patterns and linguistic implications from a synchronic perspective. Data was collected via 5,000 lexicons and sociolinguistic interviews with NORMs in Sundergarh and Sambalpur districts of Odisha state, alongside comparisons to Kurux and Dravidian etymological sources. Theoretical frameworks categorise metathesis as (1) copy-delete/coalescence operations, (2) transposition outcomes, or (3) allomorphy-driven CV/CC/CVC rearrangements. The results focus on Kunha’s pervasive yet irregular CV/CC/CVC metathesis, previously undocumented, highlighting its typological rarity and challenges for linguistic prediction. For example, the word /oɽok/ ‘bark of a tree’ in Kurux, changes to /uɽku:/ in Kunha. Similarly, /calkur/ ‘sand, gravel’ in Kurux, transforms to /calkri:/ in Kunha. These peculiarities in sound change are not limited to CV (consonant-vowel) clusters; they also occur in CC (consonant-consonant) clusters. For instance, /maːkcuːɳɖ/ ‘name of a flower’ in Kurux, changes to /maːskuːɽ/ in Kunha, resulting in the sound change from [kc] to [sk]. Additionally, metathesis can affect CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) order, as seen in the transformation of /letheɽ okk-aː/ ‘to sit with the legs crossed’ in Kurux, into /thepeɽ okk-aː/ in Kunha, yielding the change from [leth] to [thep]. Due to these sound transpositions, there is an emergence of a new speech variety called Kunha.

Argumentation in recommender dialogue agents (ARDA): An unexpected journey from Pragmatics to conversational agents

Abstract This article introduces argumentation in recommender dialogue agents (ARDA), a novel theoretical and practical framework for designing advanced argumentative dialogue systems. Grounded in principles of pragmatics and argumentation theory, ARDA integrates linguistic theory and graph-based representations to model pragmatic dialogue acts such as clarification requests, explanations, and argumentation. The framework bridges the gap between theory and implementation by providing graph-based computational models that translate these formalised concepts into functional dialogue system components. The contributions of this article are twofold: (1) providing an overarching view of the theoretical approaches applied in our prior studies and (2) offering computational models that more effectively represent linguistic phenomena within dialogue systems. Furthermore, the article explores the application of ARDA in the context of movie recommendation systems, providing previously collected results that illustrate how these models enable natural, persuasive, and logically coherent interactions between humans and intelligent agents.

The metamorphosis of Low German – between decline and persistence

The decline of Hanseatic power led to a decrease in the importance of Low German as a language of trade and culture within the Hanseatic region. Today, however, the targeted variety is primarily encountered as a spoken regional language, which is attributed an important artistic dimension thanks to Low German theater, as well as a component of the contemporary supraregional standard language. Moreover, Low German has been recognized as an intangible UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. It becomes evident that the subject of this study is shaped by the complex interplay between archaisation and revitalization. The focus of the present investigation lies in identifying the reasons that have accelerated and facilitated lexical loss. Its multifaceted nature is examined from an interdisciplinary perspective, so that both sociolinguistic factors and cognitive and language-internal mechanisms can be considered as causes for the decline of certain linguistic phenomena. In addition, the influence of Low German will be demonstrated using a contemporary corpus.

Exploring the Role of Ellipsis in Creepypasta: A Narrative Analysis

This paper explores the use of ellipsis in critical discourse analysis, with a specific focus on creepypasta stories. Ellipsis, a linguistic phenomenon where certain elements of a sentence are omitted, plays a crucial role in these horror narratives by creating suspense, suggesting hidden meanings, and streamlining communication. By examining various forms of ellipsis in creepypasta, the study seeks to identify patterns and interpret their implications for narrative structure and emotional impact. The research employs a qualitative approach, analyzing creepypasta texts from a variety of online sources where ellipsis is a key feature. The analysis focuses on the context, function, and potential interpretations of ellipsis in these stories. By comparing the findings with existing theories and frameworks in linguistics and discourse analysis, the study aims to shed light on how ellipsis contributes to the tension and eeriness that define the creepypasta genre. The results suggest that ellipsis serves multiple functions in creepypasta, from heightening suspense to avoiding redundancy.Additionally, the study underscores the importance of understanding ellipsis in these horror narratives to fully appreciate their unsettling atmosphere and to interpret subtle cues that drive the storyline. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of how linguistic structures can enhance the effectiveness of horror storytelling, with implications for both literary analysis and practical communication in suspenseful contexts.

МІЖДИСЦИПЛІНАРНІ ПІДХОДИ У ЗАГАЛЬНІЙ ТЕОРІЇ ПРАВА: МІЖ СОЦІОЛОГІЄЮ, ПОЛІТИЧНОЮ ФІЛОСОФІЄЮ ТА ЛІНГВІСТИКОЮ

The relevance of the study is stipulated by the urgency to update the theoretical and legal paradigm in the aspect of an open, pluralistic and reflexive model of law integrating the achievements of related sciences into its arsenal and responding to the challenges of the modern world. The purpose of the article is to outline interdisciplinary approaches in the general theory of law – sociological, philosophical and linguistic – as promising directions for the development of the methodology of legal phenomena. The article explores the interdisciplinary dimension of the general theory of law in the context of the modern transformation of legal understanding. Attention is focused on the fact that openness to other scientific subjects is not only a consequence of methodological search, but also a reaction to the crisis of the normative paradigm. Interdisciplinarity is considered as an ontologically justified necessity to understand law not only as a system of norms, but as a complex social, political and linguistic phenomenon. The potential of the sociology of law as a tool for identifying the actual operation of norms, analyzing the gap between law and social practice, studying informal regulators and institutional interaction is revealed. The sociological perspective allows us to study law as an element of social order, which does not simply exist in the form of formal norms, but is implemented in the behavior of society members, and in institutional interaction. It is noted that political philosophy allows us to critically assess legal reality, comprehend the value principles of normative decisions, and also determine the ideological guidelines that underlie legal regulation. Political philosophy allows us to comprehend how different ideas about freedom, equality, authority and the common good shape different models of the legal system. Special attention is paid to the linguistic approach to law, within which law is considered as a linguistic practice that forms and structures legal reality. Taken together, these directions demonstrate the urgency to go beyond normative positivism and expand the research framework of the general theory of law by integrating it into a broader humanitarian context. Key words: linguistic approach, methodology of law, normativism, law, legal reality, legal understanding, political philosophy, sociology of law.

Kesalahan diksi dan struktur kalimat dalam warta jemaat GMIT Kota Kupang: Tinjauan dari perspektif keterbacaan dan pemahaman

The aim of this study is to explore the contribution of diction and effective sentences to the readability and comprehension of the GMIT Congregational Bulletin in Kota Kupang. The research employs a qualitative descriptive method to provide an in-depth explanation of linguistic phenomena, particularly the use of diction and effective sentence construction. The findings reveal several errors in word choice and sentence structure, such as excessive word use, influence of colloquial language, and improper sentence arrangement, which lead to vague meanings and ineffective message delivery. Accurate word choice—including appropriate conjunctions, precise synonyms, and the avoidance of nonstandard or redundant words—can clarify meaning and aid reader comprehension. Effective sentences, characterized by clarity, precision, and appropriateness, help prevent confusion and enhance the reader’s understanding of the bulletin content. The implications of this study encourage the bulletin’s editorial team to conduct regular training on effective writing for writers and church administrative staff. Furthermore, it is recommended to develop an internal writing guide that includes language usage rules and examples of well-constructed sentences to ensure consistency and language quality in every edition of the GMIT Congregational Bulletin.