Linguostylistic Markers of the Media Language of War

Abstract

The article analyzes the linguostylistic markers of the media language of the Russian-Ukrainian war, focusing on verbal units that acquire metaphorical, ironic, or euphemistic colouring in publications about strikes on enemy targets. These units not only participate in the interpretation of facts but also shape their emotional perception and, in addition to their informative function, perform mobilizing, identificational, suggestive, evaluative, and other functions. The media language of this thematic sphere is characterized by occasional formations, jargonisms, and secondary nominations aimed at the expressivization of utterances and the pragmatically oriented interpretation of events. The study of nominations attested in news content about the destruction of enemy targets is relevant, as it makes it possible to trace the dynamics of the development of Ukrainian vocabulary, identify the mechanisms of constructing the linguistic image of the enemy, and outline the role of the media in shaping the national narrative of resistance. In accordance with the stated aim and outlined objectives, the article analyzes stylistically marked linguistic units, in particular emotionally expressive and evaluative lexemes, as well as figurative nominations used in contexts related to strikes on enemy targets. The study is aimed at identifying the mechanisms of linguistic construction of wartime reality and determining their pragmatic potential in the contemporary Ukrainian media space. The corpus of the factual material was compiled on the basis of well-known national and several regional media outlets, with preference given to Volyn mass media sources. It is found that statements concerning strikes on Russian military-industrial facilities are characterized by ironic and sarcastic overtones, evaluative connotations, emotionality, and expressiveness. Such potential is characteristic of combinations with figuratively used nouns and verbs that model contexts in which vocabulary related to festive-entertainment and official-ceremonial themes sharply contrasts with the actual content of the message. Attention is focused on occasional derivatives with a high level of semantic compression; it is emphasized that they create an effect of novelty, intensify the emotionality of the message, and serve as a symbolic means of verbalizing the narrative of victory. The article characterizes nominations that have undergone reinterpretation and semantic enrichment and contribute to changing the mode of information perception. Discursive markers structuring poly-stylistic utterances that convey information about Russian losses within a satirical and metaphorical framework are analyzed. Situational jargon nominations and euphemisms aimed at stylistic lowering and creating a humorous context with a mocking and ironic colouring were investigated. Conversational words and set expressions formed during the active phase of the Russian-Ukrainian war are described. Serving as verbal means of semantic accentuation, such linguistic units create an atmosphere of informal communication, shape a derogatory social evaluation of representatives of the enemy forces, and make the text more engaging. It is concluded that, within the Ukrainian information space during the period of the full-scale war, the media language underwent significant changes, marked by the penetration of colloquial elements into the journalistic style, which intensify the expressiveness of the text and perform evaluative and pragmatic functions.