Semantic Nature Research Articles

The Pragmatics of Function Words in Fiction

This paper uses a computer-aided text analysis (CATA) to decipher the ideologies pertaining to function words in fictional discourse represented by Edward Bond’s Lear. In literary texts, function words, such as pronouns and modal verbs display a very high frequency of occurrence. Despite the fact that these linguistic units are often employed to channel a mere grammatical function pertaining to their semantic nature, they, sometimes, exceed their grammatical and semantic functionality towards further ideological and pragmatic purposes, such as persuasion and manipulation. This study investigates the extent to which function words, linguistically manifested in two personal pronouns (I, we) and two modal verbs (will, must) are utilized in Bond’s Lear to convey both persuasive and/or manipulative ideologies. This paper sets three main objectives: (i) to explore the persuasive and/or manipulative ideologies the four function words under investigation communicate in the selected text, (ii) to highlight the extent to which CATA software helps in deciphering the ideological weight of function words in Bond’s Lear, and (iii) to clarify the integrative relationship between discourse studies and computer-aided text analysis. Two findings are reported in this paper: first, function words do not only carry semantic functions, but also go beyond their semantic functionality towards pragmatic purposes that serve to achieve specific ideologies in discourse. Second, the application of CATA software proves useful in extracting ideologies from language and helps better understand the power of function words, which, in turn, accentuates the analytical integration between discourse studies and computer, particularly in the linguistic analysis of large data texts.

Cognitive linguistics as an interdisciplinary study

Before analyzing certain orientations presented by the mentioned disciplines, we will present some reflections on the nature of the acquisition of a language. Linguistic knowledge covers different aspects of phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical, semantic and pragmatic nature that any human being acquires under normal physical, psychological and social conditions. All this is justified first by the indisputable fact of the acquisition of the native language.

Expressão do valor genérico nos provérbios portugueses e croatas

Starting from the hypothesis that proverbs represent prototypes of generic sentences and considering that, in our view, they have not been properly studied in the field of linguistics (especially Croatian linguistics), we propose in this work to reflect on the mechanisms that convey the generic value of proverbs. We believe that the generic interpretation in a proverbial context arises from the interaction of several factors – from the linguistic (semantic-pragmatic) ones to certain conceptual mechanisms. At the linguistic level, genericity is actualized in the behavior of several grammatical categories, from nouns and noun phrases, adverbial adjuncts, determiners and quantifiers, and temporal, aspectual and modal values, to the interpropositional relations that represent “type-situations”. For the purposes of this work, we focused on the noun phrase (in the subject position), an aspect that we find relevant even in terms of comparing Portuguese and Croatian proverbial texts, due to the differences between these two languages in the expression of the category (in)determination. The problematization of the properties of the subject noun phrase necessarily requires considering the semantic nature of predications. Since genericity is a linguistic, but also a logical and conceptual “universal”, we propose to investigate the mechanisms in which it is actualized in (European) Portuguese and Croatian proverbs

The Semantic Nature of Deictic Verb Take

The Semantic Nature of Deictic Verb Take

International Discussions on Religious Factor in Global Bioethics

The article analyzes the cooperation of UN structures with religious non-governmental organizations, as well as with faith-based communities. The authors consider diff erent levels of the infl uence of the religious factor on the UN activity, and also articulate new directions of its development, outlined during the COVID-19 period. The authors focus on the latent semantic and structural confl ict nature of the global agenda, which is formulated by elites who recognize the “benefi ts” of religious institutions and seek to use the possibilities of religious networks, on the one hand. On the other hand, they point to internal disagreements characteristic of national religious communities, which, as a result of their participation in international dialogue, bring additional tension both to global discussions and to the internal processes of their countries. Global health, which has become an important part of international relations, puts on the agenda the search for a new ethic of global dialogue, of which religious values and religious actors are becoming a part. In the COVID-19 pandemic, trends have emerged that have made the role of religion more visible in the current global health and bioethics agenda. First of all, in connection with the threats of a global pandemic, the need to create new forms of global health management and response to epidemic threats, as well as the organization of a system of “assistance” to developing countries in the fi eld of public health.

Functions of Precedent Phenomena in the Political Discourse of the Elections in Belarus in 2020

The authors of the article investigate the texts of the opposition Telegram channel “Belarus of the Brain” in order to identify the precedent phenomena (hereinafter PF) functioning in them. Political discourse is at the core of contemporary discourse research with the problem of strategies and tactics for manipulating public opinion occupying an important place among other aspects of its studies. PFs provide the basis for these strategies, which determines the relevance of the research being conducted. The article presents an analysis of the functional characteristics of PFs of two groups: 1) PFs representing the Belarusian national culture and society; 2) PFs exhibiting foreign cultural space. Based on the theory of precedence developed by V.P. Moskvin, V.I. Karasik and G.G. Slyshkin, the authors resort to the contextological and structural methods, elements of discourse analysis, in order to outline obvious accents in the functional differentiation of these PF groups. While national PFs have a positive connotation and participate in the creation of the national identity of Belarus and the Belarusians, PFs of foreign cultural spaces are marked by negative connotations and are used to discredit the existing political regime. The authors highlight common functions of the PFs of both groups such as creating vivid images and communicating credibility and authority to the information provided. PFs actualizing foreign cultural space show a tendency to participate in the didactic function of teaching the average reader the peaceful mechanisms of a democratic society. The study of structural features allows us to come to the conclusion about the word combination as the major form of PFs’ realization. The structural complexity and predominance of proper names in the morphology of PF signal their multidimensional semantic nature as well as their social essence. The authors also point out the formation of the PF corpus within political discourse with such dominant source spheres as history and culture. The research proves that PFs of our days are used as actively as PFs referring to the past. By and large PFs act as a means of analyzing, interpreting and categorizing the phenomena of public life in the political discourse.

THE INVESTIGATION OF THE GRAMMATICAL AND LEXICAL POLYSEMY IN THE COMPARATIVE LANGUAGES

The issue of investigation of polysemy is one of the actual problems in the linguistics. Words are realized in relation to each other (nouns in certain areas, or verbs with adjectives, nouns), and can serve to express a certain meaning. Therefore, to study the semantic nature of words, we can rely on contextual analysis, follow it as a fact of language and speech, and as a result, we can see that words have different meanings in language. Models in terms of having common-integral properties (semantic-grammatical) of the set of words in the dictionary, which creates a linguistic picture of the objective world, are grouped in certain areas in the form of subsystems, and these areas are separated from each other by different colored "borders" on the dictionary map on the basis of paradigmatic features. The set of words in each field can fall into a certain "normal" syntagmatic processing environment, which is regulated by different linguistic features. For words in the "foreign" field, any word exceeds the normal parameter of the set that enters. İts field When it falls into the normal working environment, syntactic and logical environment, the language unit acquires a new property, polysemy or poetism emerges. In the world of "reality", the world of "language" does not coincide with each other, there is no correspondence between them, so in linguistic semantic analysis the "linguistic landscape of the world" is studied.

The Ambiguity in the Verb Words in the Epic

This article describes the historical and etymological aspects, lexical and semantic nature of the words used in the epos “Rustamkhan” and their ambiguous features. Polysemy plays a significant role in any language. Linguistic richness is measured not only by words and phrases, but also by the lexical meanings of words. The ambiguity of words is that the phenomenon of polysemy has its place in the richness of language [1, p. 3]. Based on the same principles, we tried to study the polysemous words used in the text of the epic “Rustamkhan” from a semantic, lexical-grammatical and genealogical point of view.

Диминутив «потихоньку» в текстах параллельного корпуса. Часть 2

The aim of the study is to identify the features of using the colloquial diminutive потихоньку in the texts of translations from English into Russian and from Russian into English, to refine the semantics on the basis of data from the parallel corpus. The scientific originality of the research lies in the fact that the diminutive потихоньку is considered for the first time from the point of view of linguistic specificity. As a result, the features of the contextual use of the adverb потихоньку in the texts of the parallel corpus are highlighted and characterized, which are considered to clarify the semantic nature of the diminutive. On the basis of the study, the question of the possibility of describing the adverb as a lingo-specific unit is considered.

Роль вопросительных предложений в поэтическом тексте

The aim of the study is to identify the features of interrogative sentences functioning in a poetic text. The article highlights one of the most important aspects of linguistic stylistics: the relationship between the types of syntactic constructions and the sphere of their aesthetically significant functioning. The scientific originality of the research lies in the very approach to solving the developed topic as a complex one: the context conditions, syntactic features of linguistic units, facts of composition, emotional and stylistic features of the verse are taken into account when identifying functional and semantic types of interrogative sentences. As a result of the research, the functional and semantic nature of the issue is determined, considering the emotionally stylistic characteristics of the context. The dynamic character of the question type belonging to a certain functional-semantic group is illustrated; the role of the question in the actualization of the poetic text is established, and it is proved that the communicative orientation of interrogative sentences is preserved in the poetic text.

Les caractéristiques sémantiques et morphologiques d'un nom comme sujet en français contemporain

The present study considers the problem of the relationship between semantics and morphology of nouns in the syntactic function of the subject in the modern French literary language. This work aims to answer the questions of whether the syntactic function is not indifferent to the semantic nature of the noun and whether any noun can be used in the function of the subject. The text fragments taken from the works of classic French writers Honore de Balzac, Emile Zola, André Maurois, François Moryac, etc. have been investigated. The total length of the analyzed texts taken in equal portions of 100 phrases per work was 85,000 tokens. The general methodological principles of this study are the provisions on the dialectical connection between language and thinking, on the one hand, and language and reality, on the other. The findings show that the choice of grammatical forms of a noun in these syntactic functions is not random and it is determined by the patterns of thought formation, which reflects the objective situation.

Lexico-semantic Meanings of the Word Sufi

The article examines the semantic nature of the word “Sufi”, widely used in the history of language. The based linguistic materials are differentiated by scientific data. The analysis looks at terminological, religious, linguistic concepts of the word, its semantic use and changes in historical periods, lexical and semantic concepts and functions of our language. It is also the foundations of the formation of the word Sufi in accordance with the norms of public speech, its entry into circulation, the period of its activity, etc. The definition of the word as a character, the conclusions of those who have completely sacrificed themselves to religion and accepted it as a way of life, are well presented in the historical data. Periodic and systematic lines of work are consistently offered. The life principles of those who have glorified and promoted Sufism, paved a particular path, and formed a school of Sufism are also presented with compelling facts. The information that these famous schools had their own principles, ways, and structure is based on the opinions and conclusions of scholars. In fact, if the cognitive characteristics of the worshipper, worship, action, and piety, which have special significance in human life, are subjected to special analysis, the method, purpose, and mission of those who follow this path are considered very important. At the same time, such actions of those who make Sufism their pillar, aim at it, and set as a principle to live only by love to the Creator alone, inevitably requires special study. Therefore, the importance of this work is reflected here, and special attention is paid to the etymological study of the history and semantic nature of the word. The first meaning of the word Sufi, the second name, the official meaning, has been scientifically established. The fact that from the first appearance of the word such issues as submission to the Creator's will, directing all thoughts and actions to the Creator, have influenced the history of the word's origin cannot be overlooked. The author reveals the basic principles and pillars of the word, its concepts, and therefore its status in worship. In a word, the official nature of the word Sufi was defined, which determined the role and place in the formation of values in the spiritual cognition of the peoples of the Kazakh steppes.

ФИЗИОЛОГИЯЛЫК АБАЛДЫ ТУЮНДУРГАН ЭТИШ СӨЗДӨР

This article examines the verbs reflecting the physiological state of the human body and are included in the largest semantic group of verbs state in the Kyrgyz language. The science of physiology studies the vital functions of humans and living beings. We examined the words that express this physiological state as a separate group of words and divided them into lexical and semantic groups. In general, the semantic nature of the verb in the Kyrgyz language, including conditional verbs, is not fully disclosed and requires a lot of research. The issue that we are currently studying is relevant for the Kyrgyz language.

УРБАНІСТИЧНА НОМІНАЦІЯ В КОНТЕКСТІ СУЧАСНИХ МОВНИХ ПРОЦЕСІВ: ФУНКЦІОНАЛЬНО- СЕМАНТИЧНИЙ І ЛІНГВОКУЛЬТУРОЛОГІЧНИЙ АСПЕКТИ

The article deals with the modern Ukrainian urbanistic nomination as a constituent of active language processes. From the standpoint of general linguistics functional and semantic nature of urbanonym, its place and role in different discourses, the sociolinguistic phenomenon of renaming (on the example of Kyiv urbanonymy) are examined. In the context of ideas of reference analysis and semantics of syntax an urbanonym is characterized as a unit of an identifying type of meaning (as opposed to units of a predicate type of meaning), to which a close connection between a denotatum and a name, as well as the use in an utterance with the referential function is peculiar. It is shown that the functioning of an urbanistic nomination in oral discourse is determined, first of all, by the pragmatic factor, the speaker’s knowledge of the relationship between the denotatum and its name, his cultural background and experience of living in a certain urban space and by the need for orientation in it. In written speech, the urbanistic nomination is presented in reference and informational, media, historical-topographic, and fiction discourses, in which it has various functions, in particular, the function of identifying an individual or legal entity in juridical texts and other texts of a documentary type. The active sociolinguistic processes in which the urbanonyms are involved find an imprint in modern fiction discourse in the creation of non-standard syntactic constructions and the use of unofficial urbanistic nominations within the frame of language game. The practice of renaming is analyzed in the aspect of reference analysis, in connection with which two types of linguocultural situations are distinguished, due to the correlation between the transformation of the urban object (denotatum) and the change of name. It is shown that in the modern Ukrainian practice of renaming, there is a steady tendency towards the introduction of an additional predicate semantic component into the meaning of an urbanonym. It is concluded that the current functioning of the urbanonym is subordinated to the mechanisms that operate in the different discursive practices.

Lexico-Semantic Features of Phraseological Units Denoting Parts of The Human Body

The article examines the lexical and semantic nature of the phraseological unit associated with the names of parts of the human body. This work describes the meaning of phraseological units expressed in a literary text, and the expressive meanings of the text in external speech.

Lexical Sense Labeling and Sentiment Potential Analysis Using Corpus-Based Dependency Graph

This paper describes a graph method for labeling word senses and identifying lexical sentiment potential by integrating the corpus-based syntactic-semantic dependency graph layer, lexical semantic and sentiment dictionaries. The method, implemented as ConGraCNet application on different languages and corpora, projects a semantic function onto a particular syntactical dependency layer and constructs a seed lexeme graph with collocates of high conceptual similarity. The seed lexeme graph is clustered into subgraphs that reveal the polysemous semantic nature of a lexeme in a corpus. The construction of the WordNet hypernym graph provides a set of synset labels that generalize the senses for each lexical cluster. By integrating sentiment dictionaries, we introduce graph propagation methods for sentiment analysis. Original dictionary sentiment values are integrated into ConGraCNet lexical graph to compute sentiment values of node lexemes and lexical clusters, and identify the sentiment potential of lexemes with respect to a corpus. The method can be used to resolve sparseness of sentiment dictionaries and enrich the sentiment evaluation of lexical structures in sentiment dictionaries by revealing the relative sentiment potential of polysemous lexemes with respect to a specific corpus. The proposed approach has the potential to be used as a complementary method to other NLP resources and tasks, including word disambiguation, domain relatedness, sense structure, metaphoricity, as well as a cross- and intra-cultural discourse variations of prototypical conceptualization patterns and knowledge representations.

Multi-Criteria Geographic Analysis for Automated Cartographic Generalization

ABSTRACT Cartographic generalization is a process similar to text summarization that transforms a map when scale is reduced. Cartographic generalization simplifies the map content while preserving as much as possible the initial characteristics and spatial relations of the map. The automation of this process requires a deep understanding of the context of each map feature, which involves different criteria such as the shape of the feature, the semantic nature of the feature, or the spatial patterns of its neighbouring features. This is why multiple criteria decision techniques can be relevant during the process. This paper proposes two use cases of cartographic generalization sub-tasks where multiple criteria decision techniques improve past techniques: the classification of urban building blocks and the ordering of the buildings to keep in the map as a priority. In both use cases, the proposed methods are experimented on large real cartographic datasets, and evaluated in comparison to alternative techniques.

«Würzburg mark description» as an early monument of the Old High German language

The article concerns the issues of discussion about the composition of the monuments of ancient German writing that are relevant to the history of the German literary language of the initial period, in particular the texts of agrarian law of the 8th century descriptions of land detours and demarcations of the Main Franconian region. The thesis of the clerical exclusivity of ancient German writing dominates by inertia in Russian historical Germanic studies. The relevance of the research carried out on the material of the unique monument of the so-called second description of the Wrzburg mark is associated with the approbation of an integrated approach to the analysis of the language and genre and stylistic affiliation of the text. The place of this source in the corpus of autochthonous texts of the VIII century from Wrzburg is determined. The research solves the problem of decoding the semiotic meanings contained in this old-written text, which is identified as a protocol for oral presentation. The main research methods are onomastic and component analysis (toponyms, anthroponyms), a toolkit of historical-stylistic, discursive and hermeneutic approaches using digital technologies. The genre content and linguistic characteristics of the monument are specified. The description of the Wrzburg demarcation and related texts is considered in the context of the linguistic situation of the VIIIXI centuries. The main conclusions of the study: as a small-format legal text, this monument has a special semantic nature, encodes valuable historical and cultural information, unique relics of the transitional early feudal era in Germany; its reference (referential) function, areаlogy, toponymic and anthroponymic semiotics are revealed through intertextual connections with other Old High German monuments of the XVIII century.

Entity- vs. event-existentials: A new typology

ABSTRACT Different classifications of existential clauses (ECs) have been proposed in the literature, including structural classifications, classifications according to the source construction and classifications according to the functions performed by ECs. However, no serious attempt has been made to typologize ECs according to the semantic nature of the most essential element of the construction, i.e. the existent. In this regard, this study recognizes two types of existentials: entity- and event-existentials. The latter is a much-ignored category, though it is an important one that has implications for some of the controversial issues in the literature. For example, it can be correlated to the controversy over the NP analysis or the small clause analysis of the coda. It is argued that these two analyses are not alternatives to each other; rather they are suited to the two types of ECs respectively, i.e. the NP analysis to entity-existentials and the small clause analysis to event-existentials. Further, it is shown that this new typology also has relevance for the two semantic restrictions on ECs, i.e. the definiteness effect mainly concerns entity-existentials, and the predication restriction event-existentials.

Burnout and Engagement Dimensions in the Reception System of Illegal Immigration in the Mediterranean Sea. A Qualitative Study on a Sample of Italian Practitioners.

The present study describes the semantic nature of burnout and engagement in the operators involved in the management of illegal immigration. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on a sample of Italian practitioners (n = 62) of the two levels of the reception system considered: (1) rescue and first aid and (2) reception and integration. Within the framework of the job demands–resources model (JD-R), the interviews deepened the analysis of the positive and negative dimensions of burnout and engagement: exhaustion versus energy, relational deterioration versus relational involvement, professional inefficacy versus professional efficacy and disillusion versus trust. The interviews were analysed using the T-Lab software, through a cluster analysis (bisecting K-means algorithm), which emphasised noteworthy themes. The results show that, in the vast majority of the dimensions considered (for both levels of reception), the same dimensions of engagement of the operators (energy, relational involvement, professional efficacy and trust) are able to lead them into a condition of burnout, with experiences, conversely, of exhaustion, relational deterioration, professional inefficacy and disillusion. These findings expand the knowledge on burnout and engagement in practitioners of illegal immigration, a context characterised by the value of help and welcome.