Lexical Quantors: From Term to Discursive Practice

Authors

  • Elina Kushch Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University
  • Vasyl Bialyk Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University
  • Olena Zhykharieva Kyiv National Linguistic University
  • Viktoriia Stavtseva Kyiv National Linguistic University
  • Svitlana Taran Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1201.09

Keywords:

Covid-19, discursive practice, lexical quantor, term, word formation

Abstract

The paper looks into the emergence of terms and neologisms related to COVID-19 outbreak, which are treated as lexical quantors (LQs). A LQ, as a linguistic nominative unit, reflects the amount of language knowledge (LK) represented in a certain segment of language worldview (LWV). It is represented by a word or a phrase, which constitutes some quantum of information to designate a certain segment of LWV. It has a systemic character and is reflected in the semantics of a linguistic unit. This research is aimed at exploring COVID-19 lexical quantors both in terminological and general vocabulary aspects and it defines the major language concepts for special purposes (LSP). It is characterized by the word formation means expressing all types of LK with the prevalence of a denotative special meaning. General COVID-19 lexical units employ all word formation means to render both denotative and connotative components of LQs meanings revealing also social, cultural, and axiological aspects of LK. The boundary between COVID-19 terminology and general lexical units is quite blurred when the transition from one layer of vocabulary to another is observed. Word formation is viewed as the process of constructing LQs in terms of aggregated, condensed and modified knowledge means. In conclusion, the informative potential realization of LQ is manifested in various discursive practices, namely: media, politics, and public service announcements (PSA) that embrace both linguistic and socio-cultural characteristics of communication.

Author Biographies

Elina Kushch, Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University

Theory and Practice of Translation Department

Vasyl Bialyk, Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University

Department of Communicative Linguistics and Translation

Olena Zhykharieva, Kyiv National Linguistic University

O. M. Morokhovsky Department of English Philology, Translation and Philosophy of Language

Viktoriia Stavtseva, Kyiv National Linguistic University

Department of the English Language and Translation

Svitlana Taran, Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University

Department of Communicative Linguistics and Translation

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Published

2022-01-02

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