The current review attempts to unify the concept of criticality (as introduced by Cameron, 2000) as a linguistic tool used within the pragmatics of language interpretation that can be employed as a methodology shared by both linguistic and literary analyses. Both CDA and literary analysts use the same armamentarium when it comes to uncovering the power dynamics and hidden ideologies within a given text and the ideological orientations of the text reducers. However, the concept of criticality is utilized under different terminologies in linguistics pragmatics and literary analyses. In pragmatics, it is referred to as critical analysis of discourse, meaning to comment on the discourse producer’s intention within various contextual cues to uncover the hidden meaning and to demonstrate the power dynamics of the discourse. On the other hand, in literary analyses, it is manifested through the use of ‘political theory’ or ‘ideological theory’. The tools, by nature, are different in literature and pragmatics due to the functions of analysis, yet the theorists of all the above-mentioned terms are the same, i.e., Althusser, Foucault, Said, Gramisci, and others. Two examples are taken from linguistic pragmatics analysis and literature to be analyzed according to the same concept of criticality. Both examples yield similar justifications for the use of language in shaping power dynamics and discourse-meaning negotiation as well as uncovering the hidden ideologies of text producers under the multi-layered texts.

Employing Interactional Linguistic methodology and multimodal interactional analysis, we investigate the Hebrew [ze ma she- ‘this is what’ + clause] structure, known as a ‘reversed pseudo-cleft’. The corpus consists of 9 hours of video-recorded casual conversation among friends and relatives, manifesting 70 [ze ma she- + clause] tokens. Instead of the traditional grammatical analysis of this structure as consisting of a nominalized clause functioning as predicate, embedded within a matrix clause, we argue for an analysis of ze ma she- as a ‘fixed chunk’, a construction which has grammaticized from repetitive discourse actions to serve particular functions in interaction. Furthermore, we argue that there is no justification for viewing this structure as a ‘reversed’ form of a Hebrew pseudo-cleft. We support our claims with evidence from prosodic, lexico-semantic, syntactic, pragmatic, and embodied patterning of the [ze ma she-+ clause] tokens found in our corpus. We show that the structure functions in 71% of the instances for (1) framing prior talk metalingually or (2) claim-backing. Other, less frequent uses include (3) seeking clarification, (4) postulating some general truth, (5) disclaiming responsibility, and (6) getting back to a previous topic. Only two tokens throughout our data display (7) the summative function, claimed as by far the most common function for English reversed pseudo-clefts. Our study supports a view of grammar as a temporally-unfolding, tightly interwoven with embodied conduct, ever-evolving resource for carrying out social actions in the dialogical process of interaction.

Integrating natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI) models into corpus linguistics has opened new avenues for linguistic analysis, yet their suitability for rigorous academic research remains debated due to issues like opacity and interpretability. This systematic review explores how NLP models transform traditional corpus linguistics methodologies, focusing on their applications, benefits, and challenges. Employing a PRISMA-guided approach, the study reviewed peer-reviewed literature from 2013 to 2025 across databases like Scopus and ACL Anthology, using keywords such as “AI in corpus linguistics” and “NLP corpus analysis”. Inclusion criteria targeted studies applying NLP models (e.g., BERT, GPT) to linguistic tasks, resulting in 12 selected studies after screening 922 records. A quality assessment using the CASP checklist ensured robustness, followed by thematic synthesis of findings. Results highlight that NLP models enhance corpus analysis by automating tasks like keyword extraction and pragmatic annotation, while offering scalability and semantic depth. Applications span discourse analysis, diachronic studies, and sociolinguistic variation, supported by tools like CorpusChat and Hugging Face Transformers. However, challenges include model biases, lack of transparency, and domain mismatch. The study explores that AI-driven NLP models significantly advance corpus linguistics but require addressing ethical, privacy, and reproducibility concerns to ensure academic rigor. Future research should focus on developing domain-specific models and enhancing interpretability to fully harness AI’s potential in linguistic studies.

This article provides a theoretical and analytical study of the linguistic methodology of scientific term formation in the Arabic language. The research examines the role of terminology in Arabic linguistics, its close relationship with morphology (ṣarf) and syntax (naḥw), and its significance in ensuring precision and unambiguity in the expression of scientific concepts. The article explores the formation of the concept of “term,” the process of semantic transition from lexical meaning to scientific and terminological meaning, and analyzes the main methods used in scientific term formation – derivation, analogy, metaphor, Arabization, compounding, and semantic generation – from a linguistic perspective. In addition, the study highlights the role of norms and principles developed by Arabic language academies in systematizing and unifying scientific terminology. The findings confirm that the internal linguistic resources of Arabic possess sufficient potential for the creation of scientific terminology and its adaptation to the requirements of modern science.

The use of dialect in personal communication extends beyond merely sharing thoughts and information; it plays a vital role in fostering and shaping relationships among individuals. Conversations enable people to express their identities, cultural ties, and preferences for intimacy or distance within their relationships, often without conscious awareness. By employing specific dialects, individuals define their relationships and reaffirm their connection to particular social groups. In contrast, inappropriate terms of address can obstruct effective communication, as these terms mirror the social dynamics of status and distance between speakers, as noted by Akindele (2008: 3-15). The phonetic elements of communication seldom convey neutral implications for interpersonal relationships. Ultimately, self-expression communicates distinct emotions and mental states, which can significantly influence the outcomes of interpersonal interactions. This article aims to outline the features of a written theatrical text that emphasises its oral intent, especially regarding its suitability for stage performance. By highlighting a linguistic understanding that goes beyond the basic levels of words, clauses, phrases, and sentences—knowledge that is essential for effective communication—this study will explore pragmatics from multiple perspectives. This includes analysing speech acts through a focused linguistic approach and interpreting pragmatic significance using frameworks drawn from sociolinguistics, conversation analysis, discourse analysis, and the ethnography of speaking, among others. The research employed qualitative assessment through established linguistic methodologies and utilised descriptive qualitative methods for data analysis. Data collection involved observing and listening to character interactions during performances, as well as examining the corresponding scripts.

The article focuses on the constitutive features of political internet memes representing the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump. All the memes analysed are responses to Trump’s post on his own social media platform, Truth Social, in which he claimed that he would be the world’s best Pope. The relevance of the study is accounted for by the need to elucidate the principles of interaction between the verbal and visual modes in metaphtonymic internet memes in achieving socio-political communicative impact, as well as establishing the contribution of these modes and verbal allusion to the creation of a humorous effect as an instrument of communicative influence. The process of communication as part of socio-political processes has been analysed in terms of the methodology of multimodal cognitive linguistics. The internet meme is viewed as an interactive text, predominantly humorous in nature, circulating on the Internet as a historically established media resource providing the possibility of combining visual and verbal semiotic modes to achieve situationally determined communicative goals. The interpretation of an internet meme is possible only in the context of current socio-political events relevant for a particular society. The humorous effect of metaphtonymic memes stems from their structure containing at least two incompatible conceptual structures that are simultaneously activated in the recipient’s mind, followed by a two-stage model of resolving incongruity. The application of the cognitive metaphor and metonymy theory to multimodal communication analysis has made it possible to identify and describe visual metaphtonymy as well as visual-verbal metaphtonymy interacting with allusion. Both types of metaphtonymy are constructed on the basis of several metonymies, each activating conceptual structures of certain experiential domains, while metaphor establishes connections between these structures by projecting features from the source domain onto the target domain. The incompatibility of the activated conceptual structures creates a humorous stimulus and highlights the incongruity between Trump’s traits and the expectations of the global mass audience regarding the President of the United States. Thus, metaphtonymic memes exert socio-political influence on recipients and function as instruments for shaping public opinion.

The article is devoted to examine the theoretical, methodological, and forensic aspects of using forensic linguistic expertise of speech as a tool for protecting property rights in civil and commercial proceedings. An interdisciplinary analysis of the interaction between law and linguistics in the evidentiary process is conducted, particularly regarding the determination of legally significant content in oral and written statements that establish, modify, or terminate property relations. The relevance of this study is driven by the increasing role of non-material and digital evidence in judicial practice, the widespread use of electronic communication and oral agreements, as well as the need to harmonize national approaches to evidence with European standards of a fair trial. The article substantiates the significance of forensic linguistic expertise as an independent type of evidence, providing scientifically grounded interpretation of parties’ speech, taking into account semantic, pragmatic, and discursive characteristics of statements. It analyzes the legal framework for appointing and conducting linguistic expertise in Ukraine, as well as its practical application in cases involving debt recovery, annulment of transactions, unfair advertising, and misleading statements. Particular attention is paid to the admissibility and evaluation of expert opinions in light of Article 6 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights concerning the principles of equality of arms, adversarial proceedings, and proper judicial reasoning. It is established that forensic linguistic expertise functions as a tool for transforming linguistic information into legally relevant facts, enhancing the quality of evidence in property rights cases. An analysis of judicial practice identifies typical problems in the use of linguistic expertise, including formalistic approaches to its appointment and insufficient justification when refusing relevant motions. Conclusions and recommendations are formulated regarding the improvement of forensic linguistic methodology, enhancement of judges’ and lawyers’ competencies, and the development of an interdisciplinary approach as a condition for effective protection of property rights in accordance with European standards of justice. Furthermore, the article highlights the scientific novelty of approaches to integrating linguistic methods into the evidentiary process, proposes a unified methodology for formulating questions for experts, and determines criteria for the admissibility of forensic linguistic conclusions. Special attention is given to the interdisciplinary combination of knowledge in linguistics, civil, and commercial law, which allows for accurate interpretation of parties’ speech and increases objectivity in judicial proceedings. The proposed recommendations aim to improve the practice of using linguistic expertise in property rights cases, enhance trust in the judicial system, and bring national practice closer to European standards of a fair trial.

Abstract This is an extended review of Jonathan Owens, Arabic and the Case against Linearity in Historical Linguistics (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2023) that addresses several important issues in the methodology of historical Arabic linguistics.

The relevance of this article is driven by the realities of the modern information society, where media play a key role in the perception and evaluation of global events, including in Kazakhstan. The aim of the article is to explore how Kazakhstani media discourse shapes public opinion and sociocultural representations through linguistic and cognitive structures. It focuses on identifying key concepts (such as qogam and madeniyet) and analyzing the linguistic strategies used in mass communication.A linguistic-cognitive analysis of Kazakhstani media discourse allows for identifying structures that influence both creators and readers of texts and predicting the degree of its impact. Key concepts that define the information space of Kazakhstan, such as qogam (society) and madeniyet/kultura (culture), are considered as domains in the linguistic organization of the media space. The methodology of critical discourse analysis and cognitive linguistics is used to study texts of mass communication. Special attention is given to the method of “linguistic network semantics” developed by S.A. Zhabotinskaya, for structuring information about media concepts. The study shows how linguistic and cognitive structures shape the meaning and understanding of media texts, reflecting the interaction of language in Kazakhstani media discourse. The scientific significance of the article lies in the fact that it contributes to the study of the media discourse of Kazakhstan from a linguocognitive point of view. The article uses modern methodological tools, such as the semantics of linguistic networks (SLN), to analyze key concepts of the Kazakh media discourse, such as “kogam” (society) and “madeniyet” (culture). This contributes to a better understanding of how language is used in mass media to shape public opinion and create meanings. This analysis may be useful for philologists and journalists, media researchers and sociologists working with problems of media influence on public opinion and the formation of sociocultural ideas.

This study investigates the lexical-semantic and phonetic characteristics of English loanwords in contemporary Chinese language with a focus on their adaptation within the framework of the Chinese writing system and worldview. The relevance and novelty of research on loanwords in the Chinese language lie in the growing influence of English as a global lingua franca. As a result of intensified cultural, technological, and economic exchange, an increasing number of English loanwords have entered Chinese language reflecting significant linguistic and sociolinguistic shift. In the course of the following research, a combination of qualitative and quantitative linguistic methodologies was employed: corpus-based analysis, the principal research material utilized in this study was derived from HSK The Chinese Language Proficiency Test books, vocabulary lists, representing modern and relevant Chinese; lexical analysis: to examine the meaning, usage, and integration of loanwords into the Chinese vocabulary; phonological analysis: to investigate how English sounds were adapted to Mandarin Chinese phonology, with phonetic comparison. In the section titled “Results and Discussion”, the results of the research are presented: the findings reveal an observable shift in the preferred methodology for translating loanwords. The preference has shifted towards phonetic and mixed types of translation, as opposed to lexical translations, this reflects not only evolving linguistic practices but also reveals changing cultural attitudes toward globalization and linguistic identity. This research is theoretically significant in that it advances Chinese lexical semantics and phonology: it contributes to theories of semantic shifts, lexical integration, and phonological borrowing. The practical significance of this research lies in improving translation and localisation practices, as well as supporting language teaching. Teachers of Chinese as a foreign language can now provide learners with better explanations and contextualisation of loanwords.

The objective of this article is to demonstrate the potential of discourse research by employing corpus linguistics methodologies. The following discussion will proceed by way of a presentation of the principal tools of the SketchEngine platform, set against the background of the theoretical framework and the adopted definition of discourse. The inductive method was employed to analyse climate discourse, whereby the frequency of word occurrences was calculated and repeated linguistic patterns, collocations, concordances and keywords were identified.

The study of artificial intelligence impact on agglutinative linguistic structures represents one of the priority directions in modern digital linguistics. This research analyzes the difficulties created by morphological features of Azerbaijani language in natural language processing (NLP) systems using comparative linguistic methodology. Compared to the isolative English language, the affixal richness, dialectal variation, and phonetic complexity of agglutinative Azerbaijani require specific adaptation in artificial intelligence algorithms. The research findings indicate that existing NLP systems cannot fully encompass the morphological depth of agglutinative languages, necessitating new linguistic approaches in this field.

In order to identify a number of socio-philosophical aspects and foundations, this article examines the modern metascientific concept of “compliance” using linguistic methods developed by Ferdinand de Saussure. The first part presents the key principles of the theory of the linguistic sign and describes two main methods of studying it: synchrony and diachrony. The second part substantiates the extrapolation of linguistic methodology to philosophical research. In the third part, the term “compliance” is examined as a linguistic sign in its diachronic aspect: from the emergence of its root in Proto-Indo-European to subsequent stages of historical transformation of the content of the “signified” in Latin, Vulgar Latin, Old French, and English. The original use of the concept in English is identified in social and religious contexts as voluntary or forced submission to authorities, political circumstances, social norms, diplomatic agreements, canons of faith, etc. Synchronic data is then provided on the current connotations of the term “compliance” in medicine, economics, engineering, law, computer science, and other sciences. A contemporary trend in the application of this concept in religious studies is identified, described as a return to its origins. This example confirms F. de Saussure’s principle of the arbitrariness of the relationship between signifier and signified in a linguistic sign, which invariably rests on historical tradition.

Empirical research in the social sciences is often interested in understanding actor stances; the positions that social actors take regarding normative statements in societal discourse. In automated text analysis applications, the classification task of stance detection remains challenging. Stance detection is especially difficult due to semantic challenges such as implicitness or missing context but also due to the general nature of the task. In this paper, we explore the potential of Large Language Models (LLMs) to enable stance detection in a generalized (non-domain, non-statement specific) form. Specifically, we test a variety of different general prompt chains for zero-shot stance classifications. Our evaluation data consists of textual data from a real-world empirical research project in the domain of sustainable urban transport. For 1710 German newspaper paragraphs, each containing an organizational entity, we annotated the stance of the entity toward one of five normative statements. A comparison of four publicly available LLMs show that they can achieve adequate performance. However, results heavily depend on the prompt chain method, LLM, and vary by statement. Our findings have implications for computational linguistics methodology and political discourse analysis, as they offer a deeper understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of LLMs in performing the complex semantic task of stance detection. We strongly emphasise the necessity of domain-specific evaluation data for evaluating LLMs, considering trade-offs between model complexity and performance, as well as honestly weighing drawbacks of LLM application against traditional, valid approaches, such as manually annotating representative text samples.

Empirical research in the social sciences is often interested in understanding actor stances; the positions that social actors take regarding normative statements in societal discourse. In automated text analysis applications, the classification task of stance detection remains challenging. Stance detection is especially difficult due to semantic challenges such as implicitness or missing context but also due to the general nature of the task. In this paper, we explore the potential of Large Language Models (LLMs) to enable stance detection in a generalized (non-domain, non-statement specific) form. Specifically, we test a variety of different general prompt chains for zero-shot stance classifications. Our evaluation data consists of textual data from a real-world empirical research project in the domain of sustainable urban transport. For 1710 German newspaper paragraphs, each containing an organizational entity, we annotated the stance of the entity toward one of five normative statements. A comparison of four publicly available LLMs show that they can achieve adequate performance. However, results heavily depend on the prompt chain method, LLM, and vary by statement. Our findings have implications for computational linguistics methodology and political discourse analysis, as they offer a deeper understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of LLMs in performing the complex semantic task of stance detection. We strongly emphasise the necessity of domain-specific evaluation data for evaluating LLMs, considering trade-offs between model complexity and performance, as well as honestly weighing drawbacks of LLM application against traditional, valid approaches, such as manually annotating representative text samples.

The article examines the question: how, without sacrificing the meaning that arises in the artist’s mind, it is possible to create a work of art that can arouse interest among a wide audience. This question has become particularly acute in the context of the discussion around “auteur” cinema and the Author in art, whose high status began to waver in the second half of the last century. The author of the article turns to linguistic methodology, which was a consequence of the linguistic turn in the humanities at the beginning of the 20th century, and uses the concepts of “language” and “speech”. If “language” is a means of achieving optimal communication that takes into account the interests of both the speaker and the recipient, then “speech” is an expression of a deeply individualized process that continues to exist, including beyond language. This problematic emerged in cinema with the advent of the “auteur” film. Tarkovsky’s films, for which “speech” became dominant, provoked difficulties among the mass audience. However, the director's appeal to the genre of science fiction is explained by his desire to use not only “speech” but also “language”. The science fiction genre, like any other genre, is a component of “language” and not “speech”. But, resorting to the genre, Tarkovsky does not avoid difficulties: when implementing the author's idea, a conflict arises between the visual and narrative principles. This problem is revealed in the article using a comparative analysis of Tarkovsky's films and the film by American director Stanley Kubrick “2001: A Space Odyssey”, in which the visual principle displaces the literary narrative. Tarkovsky implements an alternative version of the relationship between the visual and the narrative: in his case, the narrative principle is not inferior to the visual. Comparative analysis allows us to talk not only about different versions of the relationship between “language” and “speech”, but also about different types of mentality.

Abstract A fall-to-mid intonation in Spanish has traditionally been associated with meanings like uncertainty, incompleteness, command and politeness. In syntactic constructions, it is attested in a subject followed by a non-restrictive relative clause and enumerations, etc. These descriptions report its high frequency use in tightly controlled speech. Yet, further research is necessary to understand better the linguistic reasons behind its presence in spontaneous speech. In this study, a sub-corpus of highly natural dialogues in European Standard Peninsular Spanish is selected from the corpus Glissando ( Garrido et al., 2011 ) and all the instances of the tone are identified acoustically. Following the corpus linguistics methodology, we tagged instances of modal meanings manifested in the use of the specified tone, to later compute the frequency and distribution of words bearing it, as well as retrieved concordances. This allowed the identification and categorization of modal meanings expressed by the presence of the tone. The results suggest that the fall-to-mid tone can be mapped into a wide range of word categories to express deontic and epistemic modality, together with various evaluative and interpersonal meanings.

Purpose. The article represents a new methodology of researching mental evolution, reconsideration and commemoration of the Ukrainian statehood phenomenon in the social linguistic consciousness via interdisciplinary tools of cognitive linguistics and synergetics. It is the first attempt to study the mental dynamic reconsideration and commemoration of the Ukrainian statehood as its evolution via purely linguistic techniques (cognitive approach), although on the basis of the historical discourse whose authentic resources are taken as a single corpus. Research methods and techniques. In this paper, the concept UKRAINIAN STATEHOOD is regarded in terms of dynamic ontologies: as a mental dynamically reconsidered informational systemic unit whose title reflects collective contacts with the reality, explains a respective attitude and shows social development. To select a proper empirical material for reproducing mental evolution, reconsideration and commemoration of the concept UKRAINIAN STATEHOOD, we have taken the English transcript of the YouTube stream “The Ukrainian Statehood: Over 1000 Years of Tradition” by Vladlen Maraiev, a Ukrainian PhD in History. As a corpus of audiovisual and textual resources, this historical transcript is analyzed via the linguistic methodology of determining logical predicates to find semes. They are further interpreted cognitively to produce macrodomain matrixes of stages in mental evolution, reconsideration and commemoration of the concept UKRAINIAN STATEHOOD. Results. The obtained matrixes were checked for self-similarity to conclude if the mental evolution and commemorating reconsideration model of the concept UKRAINIAN STATEHOOD is truly synergetically systemic in social linguistic consciousness. The same methodology may be properly used to study mental evolution, reconsideration and commemoration of other Ukrainian concepts in historical or other discourses, which can be regarded as a prospect for future research. Simultaneously, this methodology may be applied by postgraduate students in their PhD projects.

Abstract This thematic section focuses on the methodology of cognitive linguistics. It explores ways of answering three types of research questions: those concerning the mental representations of linguistic categories, the linguistic representation of cognitive phenomena, and the connections between conceptual and linguistic structures. Methodologically, the thematic section focuses on corpora and going beyond their use in cognitive linguistic research. Two of the papers included in this section extend the corpus data to offer more compelling evidence for various empirical inquiries, whereas the third one uses video clips to elicit data given that corpus data is not available. The languages under investigation are Arabic, English, Finnish, Italian, Spanish, and Swedish.

The Albanian language, a distinct branch of the Indo-European family, is renowned for its unique verbal system, particularly the optative mood (Alb. Mënyra dëshirore), a morphologically marked category with significant syntactic and semantic roles. This study provides a rigorous analysis of the optative's morphosyntactic structure, functional properties, and typological implications, drawing on foundational scholarship, including Arbër Çeliku's comparative studies of Albanian-German and Albanian-English verbal systems and Mehmet Çeliku's morphological analyses. Employing a combination of descriptive, comparative, and formal linguistic methodologies, we investigate the optative's inflectional paradigms, its syntactic behaviour in clausal structures, and its pragmatic functions in expressing wishes, blessings, and curses. The optative’s morphological markers are examined within Albanian's verbal system, highlighting their interaction with tense, aspect, and agreement features. Syntactically, the optative operates as a mood-specific functional category, licensing irrealis interpretations in embedded and matrix clauses. Semantically, it encodes speaker-oriented modality, reflecting cultural and pragmatic dimensions of Albanian discourse. Typologically, the optative's retention aligns Albanian with a select group of languages, such as Ancient Greek and Sanskrit, that preserve inflectional optative, offering insights into diachronic processes of mood evolution in Indo-European. This study underscores the optative's contribution to Albanian's linguistic identity and its relevance for cross-linguistic research on mood and modality. By integrating formal and typological perspectives, it advances our understanding of Albanian's verbal system and its place within Indo-European linguistics, appealing to theoretical, historical, and comparative linguists.