2025
№ 2
(Vol. 12)
The paper briefly describes the method for identifying predicate-argument structures in a text and presents the results of the study of two text corpora. The study combines elements of automatic (frequency-lexical, predicate-argument, morphological) and functional-grammatical (interpretive) analysis. The text corpora examined have different temporal and genre affiliations, they are narrative texts by Dostoevsky (19th century) and monologue and dialogue texts of political YouTube discussions (20th century). We prove the idea that the personages` speech (extracts from fiction by Dostoevsky) and YouTube discussions are linguistically comparable as both belong to the functional sphere of speech acts. We consider negative, ambivalent, positive, and de-emotive types of the lexical semantics of psych verbs and propose an algorithm for calculating the semantics of psych predicates used with negation, since the scope of negation in this case is the lexical semantics of the verb, not the predication as a whole. We describe the cases when negative psych predicates lose their perfect meaning. Particularly, we consider the top-5 most frequently encountered psych verbs used with negation, some of them are common to both corpora, some are unique. The role of negative psych verbs as a means of expressing emotional unaffectedness (de-emotive meaning), as well as the role of de-emotives in speech tactics demonstrating the speaker’s intellectual superiority over the addressee are discussed. The study reveals new aspects in the grammatical semantics of psych verbs, discovers common properties and uniqueness of speech tactics in the corpora belonging to different historical epochs, also it makes it possible to uncover the mechanism of creating psychological tension depicted in Dostoevsky’s narrative texts.
2025
№ 2
(Vol. 12)
The article is devoted to the use of the lexeme certain to achieve the effect of statement uncertainty in the texts of Kommersant newspaper in 2003 and 2023. Within the framework of medialinguistic analysis of the functioning of pronominalised adjective, questions are raised about its pragmatic significance in correlation with media text principle of clarity, and the tendency of its use in different periods. The authors identify different contextual meanings of the word, characterize the difference between indefinite and introductive reference, noting that in both cases the use of the word certain allows the speaker to refrain from conveying precise information while preserving the image of a competent professional (the technique of masking uncertainty). For this reason, the construction with the pronominalised adjective is characteristic of the statements of officials. The quantitative analysis of the material allows to establish several regularities. In 2023, there are still cases of using the word certain with the purpose of interpreting the unknown as known, and the unclear as obvious. Compared to 2003, the frequency of word combinations certain time and certain difficulties slightly decreases, while the activity of constructions certain conditions, certain level, certain degree increases. The adjective develops new meanings: high, sufficient and not fully manifested. This process not only testifies to the development of the word enantiosemia, but also confirms the propensity of newspaper authors to paradoxical word usage, which can complicate communication, but also helps to activate the addressee’s consciousness and to include him or her in a dialogue with the journalist. The final part of the article outlines the prospects of the research related both to the expansion of the source base and to the improvement of the lexicographic description of the adjective certain with obligatory reliance on the media text.
2025
№ 2
(Vol. 12)
The article examines the linguistic features of a number of printed decrees (and similar business genres in imperative function) from the time of Peter I (1714–1720), which testify to the journalistic nature of these documents, designed not only to inform the population about the radical reorganization of the life of the Russian state, but to become a means of ideological propaganda of the tsar’s ideas and plans, a means of explaining their social significance and undoubted benefit both for the individual and the country as a whole. For the first time in the practice of the state chancellery, such obvious openness of information was observed, which was communicated to a large number of Russian people in various ways — both through oral public announcement and through the distribution of decrees in public places, which only acquired printed form in 1714. It is noted that the printed form of such administrative documents required their creators to make a stricter selection of linguistic means, since it was important to disseminate government information throughout Russia in a concise, accessible and quick manner. The thematic diversity of printed decrees testifies to Peter I’s desire to captivate the Russian population, not always ready for innovations, with the spirit and meaning of the reforms he had initiated. The royal family’s internal affairs ceased to be a secret; they also became a pretext for demonstrating the new order. The example of the Manifesto on the investigation of the “crimes” of the former Tsarina Evdokia Lopukhina (1718) and some other documents demonstrates the journalistic qualities of such texts — evaluativeness and expressiveness, political commitment, ideological and social significance. Speech methods of realizing these qualities are varied and include units of all language levels — lexical and phraseological, first of all.
2025
№ 2
(Vol. 12)
The study of political media discourse is important for identifying speech strategies and tactics used in public communication, as well as understanding the mechanisms of influencing the audience and the ways of constructing ideological positions. The analysis of media discourse helps to trace how speakers form their self-esteem, creates a ‘self-image’ and opponents’s images, build arguments and use rhetorical techniques for persuasion. The authors consider the role of evaluation in the formation of the Russian linguistic picture of the world and public figure’s individual worldview. The peculiarity of evaluation in political discourse is that it is derived under the influence of political ideas reflecting the interests of state power. The purpose of this study is to refer to texts generated as a result of public speech interaction between experts on topical socio-political topics. The study uses analytical, synthetic and descriptive methods, as well as contextual and communicative-stylistic analysis to identify speech strategies and tactics of self-assessment. For a systematic approach to the study of media texts, an analysis algorithm has been developed, which has been used to analyse the texts in detail of N. Narochnitskaya’s speech behavior in the socio-political program “Big Game”. The authors consider speech strategies and tactics using the example of one communicative attitude (assessment of the subject of speech) in the speeches of N. Narochnitskaya. It is established that the choice of speech strategy is determined by such factors as the conditions of communication, the status of communicants and their awareness of the issue under discussion. N. Narochnitskaya strives to fulfill the role of an “opinion leader” who is able to informally influence the formation of the majority position to a certain extent. The results allowed us to prove the existence of a close relationship between speech tactics and the type of assessment.
2025
№ 2
(Vol. 12)
The article examines the linguistic modeling of auditory perception in travel essays based on the material of the Russian magazine “Around the World”. The object of the study is texts in the travel essay genre, which present sound scenes. Auditory perception is carried out in a two-way process. The purpose of the work is to determine the characteristics of semantic models of two processes of auditory perception — subjective and objective — in the travel essay genre, as well as to identify multi-aspect functions of perceptual language units. The research methodology is based on semantic and discursive approaches to the analysis of linguistic methods representing situations of auditory perception n journalistic texts. In the course of implementing the set goal, methods of semantic, functional and contextual analysis were used. The features of linguistic units used as various components of the perceptual model (subject, object, predicate, qualifier) in journalistic discourse are revealed. The predicate, represented by a perceptual verb, is a key component of syntactic structure. Semantic models of auditory perception make it possible to realize the unity of subjectivity and objectivity of expression in a travel essay, revealing its genre features. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that perceptual semantics is analyzed in the materials of travel journalism. The linguistic expression of auditory perception in a travel essay reflects both the general characteristics of journalistic texts and the author’s individuality. Linguistic means of auditory perception in the travel essay genre perform the following functions: transmitting information, increasing the artistry, integrity and expressiveness of the text, providing an emotional impact on the reader.
2025
№ 2
(Vol. 12)
The article is devoted to identifying, describing and classifying linguistic means of expressing strategies and tactics for creating a positive image of the city in tourism media discourse. Language means of expression are defined, lexical units and stylistic techniques for the formation of strategies and tactics in the texts of modern tourism media are identified. A description and classification of linguistic means of expressing the positive image of the city in tourism media discourse has been made. The authors conducted a continuous selection of texts and a detailed analysis of lexical units found in media texts related to tourism topics. At the stage of selection and classification of texts, the method of searching by keywords reflecting the positive image of a particular city was used. In the process of analyzing the texts of the touristic media discourse, methods of description, systematization, classification and contextual analysis were used. A detailed analysis of lexical units found in media texts related to tourism based on fragments of texts devoted to the description of Russian cities and towns was carried out. The analysis showed that argumentative and persuasive strategies which are embodied in various tactics are implemented, in the texts of tourism media discourse, as well as in advertising discourse. Among the argumentative strategies, the strategy of creating a positive attitude and the strategy of uniqueness demonstration were highlighted. Within the framework of persuasive strategies, the tactics of creating imagery, the tactics of promise and appeal, and the tactics of provoking emotions were implemented. The most frequent among all the lexical units under consideration were adjectives with positive meanings associated with size, historical value, uniqueness, figurative re-interpretation, which are widely used as means of influence in tourism media discourse and are capable of creating a positive image of the city to attract potential tourists.
2025
№ 2
(Vol. 12)
Keywords: defeated expectancy effect, English demotivators, linguistic means of realizing defeated expectancy, sources of defeated expectancy, the interaction of verbal and non-verbal components of the demotivator, англоязычные демотиваторы, взаимодействие вербального и невербального компонентов демотиватора, источники возникновения обманутого ожидания, эффект обманутого ожидания, языковые средства реализации обманутого ожидания
2025
№ 2
(Vol. 12)
The technology of creating generative images is in its infancy, determining its place and potential in the media environment. Generative images in a photographic style created with the help of artificial intelligence represent a new type of visual element. The relevance of the study is due to the use of such images in journalism instead of documentary photographs, which causes legitimate concern to the professional community. Generative images differ from photographs by a different nature of their appearance: if a photograph captures reality through an optical device, then a generative image is the result of the synthesis of data processed by artificial intelligence. Photography plays a key role in constructing cultural and social contexts, preserving unique aspects of reality, contributing to the formation of collective experience and historical memory. The generative image manipulates reality, creating a mosaic of elements of reality and artifacts. Photography meets the standards of high-quality journalism, meeting the requirements of objectivity and reliability, while a generative image raises ethical questions about the permissibility of its use in journalism. To analyze the materials, a descriptive and analytical method was used, including the study of the content and structure of articles in the German-language media. A mixed approach was used, combining target sampling and keyword search for images in search engines. In the electronic versions of the media, photorealistic images were selected with reference to AI as the source, as well as images without explicit indication of artificial intelligence in the metadata. The results show that such images are more often used to illustrate the capabilities of neural networks. They also serve as an alternative to stock photos, a thematic illustration, or a symbolic image that complements the text. Generative images can claim aesthetic value if they carry an artistic intent and evoke an emotional response.
2025
№ 2
(Vol. 12)
The article is dedicated to the communicative tactics represented in modern Russian edutainment projects. Edutainment is primarily defined as a hybrid phenomenon of current mass media landscape. The ambivalent nature of this phenomenon is highlighted, particularly the contradiction between its educational and entertaining functions. The play modeling framework, i.e. reconstruction of objective reality in the entertaining texts’ virtual space, is proposed to analyse this complex imperative deploying. In this context, the play element is considered to be the fundamental meta-cultural category based on the papers by the representatives of the 20th-century European phenomenology and hermeneutics. Besides, the Language Games’ theory is regarded as the complementary context. The research subject is the means of play modelling in edutainment texts. In this regard, the research is aimed at identifying such modelling means in relatively short edutainment videos. This content format is selected as a research object due to its distinctive laconism, suggestive potential, and popularity in edutainment practices. At the same time, among the layers of the polycodic text, the research focuses at the verbal component exclusively. By applying this theoretical framework to the modern edutainment texts (170 videos by the Arzamas Academy, Dostoevsky, Level One, Pravoe Polusharie Introverta, Sinkhronizatsiia projects), eight means of play modeling are classified; these are the rhetorical convergence, conversationalsisation, ironic accentuation, hypothetical modeling, partial reconstruction, materialisation, actualisation, and weirdisation. Each of these means is regarded through several selected cases from the videos. The case study leads to the following conclusion: merging educational and entertaining functions in edutainment practices often causes biases and distortions. Breaking the basic rules or immanent limitations of play modeling is considered to be the core reason of this communicative imbalance. On the contrary, by switching this complex communicative goal (‘education through entertainment’ instead of ‘education plus entertainment’), this imbalance occurs to be avoided in some cases.
2025
№ 2
(Vol. 12)
The article systematically examines the phenomenon of language inflation within Chinese online communication. The purpose of the article is to delineate the main forms of representation of language inflation and to determine the key factors contributing to its occurrence and manifestation. Data sources for exemplification include conversation logs from WeChat, posts and comments on Sina Weibo, as well as content from the Xiaohongshu platform. The term language inflation is operationally defined as the inappropriate use of language, cha- racterized by an imbalance between linguistic signs and their intended meanings, leading to a devaluation of semantic load, or an erosion of the original meanings of words and phrases. The key characteristics of this phenomenon are prominently displayed in the expanded use of terms for intimate relationships, the repetition of words and phrases, and the use of expressions related to mythology, death, and explosions. The research identifies three main factors contributing to the emergence and expression of language inflation. Firstly, the influence of the medieval folk laughter culture, as described by M. Bakhtin, has transposed into the virtual space, giving rise to a unique language etiquette founded on playful and humorous elements. Secondly, language inflation can be considered a way to imitate the intonation, facial expressions, and gestures of live communication, creating a sense of presence and making virtual exchanges more similar to emotional interactions in real communication. Lastly, user-generated content freedom, algorithmic recommendation mechanisms, and the scale of information flow collectively contribute to the development of language inflation phenomenon in modern communication. While language inflation is a natural consequence of the development of online communication, reflecting the carnivalesque nature of virtual spaces, it is essential to approach it with caution due to its potential to degrade language and culture and simplify thought processes.