The publication focuses on modal verbs of the German language in the secondary meaning and their analogues in the Russian language. The specificity of modal verbs of the German language used in the secondary meaning is that they are two-dimensional deictics and convey various types of deictic modal meanings. The purpose of this publication is to describe the typology of the meanings of modal verbs of the German language in deictic use and to reveal the question of functional equivalents in the Russian language. The hypothesis of the study was as follows: the complete functional equivalents of German modal verbs in the Russian language can only be particles as grammaticalized indicators and multidimensional deictics. The following methods were used in the study: comparative method, contextual analysis method, transformational and descriptive method. The study analyzed examples selected from the German DWDS and DEWAC16A corpora, as well as from the National Corpus of the Russian language, from the main and parallel subcorps, in particular. The analysis of statements from the main and parallel corpus of the Russian language made it possible to see that complete functional analogues in the Russian language possessing two-dimensional deicticity can be considered particles  jakoby, mol, deskat’.  Incomplete functional equivalents of the German verbs  müssen, dürfen and  mögen in Russian are introductory words,  sudya po vsemu, veroyatno, mozhet byt’, vozmozhno.  In the case of the use of the introductory word  sudya po vsemu,  the meaning of evidentiality can be traced more clearly, while epistemicity may or may not find its expression: this is confirmed by the fact that sudya po vsemu has no restrictions on syntactic use. When using introductory words  veroyatno, mozhet byt’, vozmozhno,  either epistemicity or inferential evidentiality, determined by the context, is mainly transmitted. A two-plane deicticality and, accordingly, full functional equivalence can be considered a modal predicative dolzhno byt’: it has a value of inferential evidentiality, coupled with epistemicity. The results obtained are important for identifying not only semantic, but also functional equivalence of modal indicators with two-dimensional deicticity in German and Russian.

The article analyzes the semantic structure of the concept  union by comparing its semantic markers for different European languages within the media discourse. The purpose of the article is to determine the features of individual meanings expressed through semantic markers in the media discourse of these languages and reflecting the uniqueness of the implementation of the concept union in semantic terms. When considering the features of meaning, semantic markers associated with the central concept are established; patterns of their frequency of use in the languages under study and factors influencing the transformation of semantics are determined. The interrelation of situations of communicative interaction and its influence on the realization of the specific meaning of the concept union indicate the high relevance of the study.

The choice of linguistic means of implementing the concept and the role of the communicative situation in this process has a significant impact on the negative or positive assessment of the phenomenon itself. The research methodology includes elements of system analysis, linguistic description method, discourse analysis, semantic and component analysis. The study uses statistical data extracted from the corpus corresponding to the declared languages by automatic sampling according to the specified parameters.

The authors conclude that the semantic structure of the concept is realized depending on the communicative situation by various semantic markers, which, with the similarity of structures in the course of historical development and various social experiences, have a divergence of meaning, which may later serve as a space for various kinds of semantic manipulations in modern media discourse. The peculiarities of the use of the concept union in politically oriented texts of the studied languages are also of interest.

The article is devoted to the analysis of semantic, cognitive and pragmatic features of English neologisms of the urban discourse to identify in their definitions and contextual field the mentality features of the creators of these neologisms. The relevance of the study is ensured by the continuous expansion of the corpus of English neologisms, the permanent interest of linguists in the English urban neological discourse, the need for scientific interpretation of the display of collective experience in the analyzed vocabulary. The material was the examples taken from English electronic sources from 2017 till 2023. The choice was determined by the fact that these resources provide informal vocabulary reflecting the characteristics of collective word creation. The fundamental method is lexicological analysis allowing one to consider the new network vocabulary of the English urban discourse from the perspective of its semantic and pragmatic potential. The study uses elements of the following types of analyses: discursive, interpretative, descriptive, component, structural, semantic, cognitive and stylistic. The urban discourse is understood as a set of cognitive and pragmatic characteristics contained in English neological units used to implement the entire spectrum of ideas about the modern city by the participants in this discourse. Neologisms are traditionally understood as the result of dynamic processes reflecting the adaptation of the language to the transformations in the society. The article notes that English urban neologisms have a cognitive and pragmatic potential, which is a consequence of the subjective evaluative worldview. Evaluation as a process of establishing the value relationship of a person to the analysed neologisms and as a result of this relationship is an integral part of the process of reflecting reality and has a cognitive nature.

The cognitive and pragmatic potential of derivational metaphorical nominations, actively used in the Spanish media discourse, represent a relevant direction of Discursive and Cognitive re-search that requires scientific comprehension.

The article is devoted to the study of the linguo-cognitive specificity of derivational metaphors that verbalize new meanings, name new realities and frequently function as nomination-neologisms or occasionalisms. Derivational metaphors perform a pragmatic function, broadcasting an intentionally conditioned vision of the world in modern Spanish media discourse, and implement the intentional and evaluative discourse pragmatics. The objective of the study is to consider the morphosemantics of derivational metaphors and analyse the most frequent word-forming productive models of metaphorical nominations in Spanish media discourse.

An integral methodological approach is used to the study of word-formation discursive metaphors, which combines contextual, semantic, interpretive and stylistic analysis methodologically opening up the possibility of a systemic study of the linguo-pragmatics of derivative metaphorical nominations that function in the Spanish media discourse. The most productive morphosemantic models of word formation for creating metaphorical concepts in the Spanish media space are affixation (prefixation and suffixation as well as their combination) and word compounding.

The cognitive approach to the study of derivational metaphors through the prism of onomasiological theory allows one to interpret the process of word formation as a way of translating cognitive attitudes and meanings. The metaphorical meaning is generated by a derivational act. The morphological structure of a word change is not identical to the sum of the meanings of the derivational components involved in the creation of a new metaphor. In the discursive space the associative potential relative to the basic meaning of affixes or root morphemes in compound words brings a number of interpretations that vary the metaphorical rethinking of their semantics and integrate axiological evaluation.

The discursive role of word-formation metaphors, which have an evaluative potential, lies in the implementation of the pragmatic function of updating meanings, aimed at influencing the consciousness and behaviour of the target audience.

Nowadays, business contacts between Iran and Russia are expanding more and more, and the success of this kind of communication depends on the level of proficiency in effective business communication skills. In this article are analyzed verbs of speech impact, used in business communication situations in the Russian and Persian languages. The purpose of the article is to identify these verbs, their functions and specifics in the Russian and Persian languages. The relevance of this article is determined by the necessity and importance of studying verbs of speech impact for Iranian students, especially in business communication. Due to the expansion and successful development of Iranian-Russian business, cultural, economic, and trade relations, there is a need to teach business communication, official business correspondence to Iranian students studying Russian as a foreign language. If we take into account the fact that the learning process is conducted outside the language environment, the topic of this article becomes even more relevant. These verbs are an integral part of oral and written business communication. They are an important component, without which business correspondence and business communication are impossible. The relevance of the work is also determined by the goals and objectives of teaching Russian as a foreign language in an Iranian audience and correct language knowledge in a non-linguistic environment. The theoretical and practical significance of the work lies in the fact that students as well as translators can use the conclusions of the article as additional material in classes of Russian as a foreign language at the departments of Russian in Iranian universities.

The relevance of this article is determined by the increasing interest in the asymmetries of gender-sensitive categories like “appearance” or “beauty”. The history of the issue and detailed results of contemporary studies in this field have been outlined in the article. The category of appearance has long been considered gender-biased and asymmetric, being related more to women than to men. Present-day studies offer support for the idea that notions of appearance and beauty are unevenly linked to women, resulting in a multitude of societal and individual difficulties. Certain modern linguists even argue that the concept of beauty is employed as a narrative to perpetuate women’s feelings of discontent and self-criticism. Our work presents an attempt to measure the relevance of this supposition against practical data of the semantic analysis of collocations with the core lexemes “man” and “woman”. A total of 2,814 noun phrases relevant to the category of appearance have been extracted from the texts of the British National Corpus of the English language. Three subcategories have been distinguished in the process of continuous sampling: parametric characteristics of appearance, general characteristics, and assessments. The method of comparative analysis allowed us to make conclusions regarding the degree of validity of assumptions about the asymmetry of the category of appearance in the English language. The analysis was carried out in two stages: the first stage required a general comparison of the amount and semantic nature of attribute-nominal word combinations with the core lexemes “man” and “woman”. The second stage of analysis was based on connotational analysis of nominal constructions semantics in the context of positive and negative characteristics of females’ and males’ appearance. The summary data of the study allowed us to present reliable evidence-based conclusions about the objective characteristics of the category of appearance. The study questions the widespread belief that the category of appearance is gender-biased and suggests considering it as a significant androgenic characteristic relevant to both men and women.

This article examines the use of euphemisms in German journalistic texts on economic topics. Euphemisms include lexemes and expressions that soften the names of discordant designations of concepts. The consequences of the 2019-2020 pandemic and the Ukrainian conflict had a definite impact on the German economy and the standard of living of the German population. The rapid rise in prices and the energy crisis that has arisen in the country have led to financial problems reflected in the stratification of society into rich and poor, an increase in the number of protests due to unfavorable working conditions and even to forced closure of enterprises. Such economic difficulties are actively discussed in the German press. In order to switch the reader’s attention and smooth out the designation of acute problems, journalists use euphemized words and expressions in their articles. In a particular historical period, depending on political, economic or social changes, certain spheres of public life were subjected to productive euphemization. In this regard, it seems important to trace this process in diachrony, focusing on the economic problems of Germany in 2021-2023. The aim of the study is to identify euphemistically colored lexemes and expressions in German journalistic texts, as well as to identify groups of euphemisms and the reasons for their use. The research material included articles from the economic section of German electronic publications such as “Der Spiegel”, “Die Zeit”, “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, “Die Tageszeitung”, “Berliner Zeitung”, etc. The study revealed that such economic problems as poverty and wealth, mass protests, rising food and electricity prices, methods of limiting them, and the consequences of the energy crisis are being euphemized. The analysis made it possible to identify both conventional and occasional euphemisms, although it was found that the lexemes and expressions of the second group are noticeably prevalent in German journalism.

The article is devoted to the study of neologisms that emerged in the French language from 2020 to 2023, as well as of the role of factors that caused the enrichment of the commonly used French language during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The purpose of the study is to establish which lexical units of the Covid-19 pandemic period were included in the dictionaries of Le Robert  and  Larousse;  to find out at the expense of which vocabulary, from the point of view of the sphere of use, the enrichment of the commonly used French language occurred; to identify the types of neologisms characteristic of this period, as well as to establish the most productive ways of their formation; to identify the relationship between the types of neologisms and the factors that caused their appearance.

In the course of the work, an interdisciplinary approach was used, which allowed us to take into account the relationship between two scientific disciplines: linguistics and personality psychology and included methods of observation, description, interpretation, classification, as well as lexicological and semantic analysis.

The analysis of the results showed that the commonly used French language has been enriched primaily by professional vocabulary, medical terms in the first place, then by technical terms, and military terms; as well as by social vocabulary related to the life support services of  homo socialis and its behavior in new realities. As for the types of neologisms that appeared during the pandemic, lexical and semantic neologisms predominate among them, while the number of loan neologisms is extremely small. The most productive ways of forming lexical neologisms during this period were prefixation and contamination.

Intralinguistic and extralinguistic factors had a significant impact on the neologization of the French language. The latter include not only objective, but also subjective factors, to which we refer the emotional states of an individual. The emotions of the pandemic, as a response to economic, cultural and psychological shocks, have contributed to the process of updating the lexical composition of the French language. Thus, due to the interaction of negative emotions of fear, anger and disappointment with intellectual emotions of humor and irony, a large number of lexical neologisms, including game derivatives, appeared, while the combination of negative emotions of fear and positive emotions of interest contributed to the transition of professionalism into the category of commonly used vocabulary, replenishing the language with semantic neologisms.

The emotions of the pandemic, realizing their three functions: evaluative, motivational and protective, served as a kind of impulse to enrich the vocabulary of the French language. The lexicological analysis was based on the materials from the Le Robert  and  Larousse electronic dictionaries and from the websites of such media outlets as  Le Monde, Le Figaro, La Croix, Ouest-France, Le Journal du Dimanche, Rue 89, Slate, Franceinfo.

The present article is devoted to the problem of applying a linguocognitive approach to the analysis of the linguistic personality of an interpreter/conference interpreter. The use of the linguocognitive approach seems to the author to be the most promising direction in view of the possibility of applying a comprehensive analysis of the interpreter’s verbal and non-verbal behavior. The conducted analysis − the study of the functional side of the linguistic personality at the moment of interpretation − contributes to the progress in the field of the national cognitive translation studies.

The research aims to analyze the audiovisual series of simultaneous interpretations, which leads to the use of modern research methods in the analysis of verbal markers and the “unnoticed background”, including, on the one hand, the discursive features of linguistic personality in various sections of the language, and on the other hand, − intertextuality and creation of new meanings. The relevance of the linguocognitive approach in linguopersonology is due to the insufficiently studied mechanisms of comprehensive analysis of linguistic personality in general, as well as a rather limited number of studies of this kind.

The author presents her view on the possibilities of applying linguocognitive analysis for a reliable and verifiable results of the interview genre research. The article describes the complexity and multi-dimensionality of the genre under study, reveals the destabilizing factors in the performance of interpretation that affect the manifestation of a linguistic personality, provides criteria for evaluating sounding speech, and the extent of its influence on the representation of linguistic personality, and, consequently, the success of the interpretation.

The proposed approach to the study of the representation of the linguistic personality of an interpreter allows for linguistic and extralinguistic analysis, to study the verbal and nonverbal behavior of speakers, to assess the quality of translation, typologize translation errors, identify the features of prosody and non-verbal behaviour. In addition, the author introduces the term “an interpreting situation” in relation to the context of the study, describes the stages and the parameters of the source text analysis (translation degree) and destabilizing factors that affect the results of the study. The experimental study confirmed the prospects for the application of the linguocognitive approach; the representation of the interpreter/conference interpreter in the genre of television interview is marked by a special typical variety of text: a combination of journalistic and colloquial styles, the use of elliptical constructions, modality, syntactic and lexical repetitions.

Learning a second foreign language remains a relevant issue in higher education, especially today when the need for changes in the educational process has become increasingly urgent. This research aims to justify the optimal approach that will make learning a second foreign language at MGIMO more attractive and beneficial, while improving students’ language training and knowledge level with minimal cost. The research is based on survey data analysis of students and teachers that revealed the most pressing problems. The introduction of compulsory study of two foreign languages at MGIMO can serve as a catalyst for change, without which the process of learning a second foreign language will not yield desired results. A comparison between the current approach, which has been criticized by both students and teachers, and the approach proposed by the authors convincingly shows that optimization should involve all language departments and entail a range of measures, including providing a full six-semester program; revising the syllabus of the “Second Foreign Language” discipline to make it easier; reallocating hours for basic lexical-grammatical course compared to other aspects (language of specialty, translation depending on faculty profile); creating special lines of text-books and teaching aids for the second foreign language that are interesting for students in terms of both content (relevant to the topic) and design (using digital technology capabilities). The article may be of interest to both foreign language teachers and university administrators. The proposed project will undoubtedly require effort and goodwill from both the deans and the language departments, as it entails a review of curricula and programs. However, its implementation will ultimately raise the significance of the second foreign language and improve the level of language training at MGIMO as a whole, thereby ensuring the competitiveness of graduates in the job market.

This article is focused on the peculiarities of the perception of existential philosophy in modern Indian literature of the late 20th–21st centuries. The research is based on the stories of Hindi writers – Kunwar Narain (1927–2017) and Nirmal Varma (1929–2005). Their works is the brightest example of existential literature. The research is also based on two English novels by Indian-born writers Anita Desai (born 1937)  “Where Shall We Go This Summer?” and Upamanyu Chatterjee (born 1959)  “English August”.  Despite the renewed interest in existentialism in modern literature, known as neuro-existentialism , the study of which takes place with the participation of the latest achievements of neuroscience, there are still few analyses in Russian Indology that are aimed at studying the influence of this philosophical trend on Hindi works and postcolonial literature. The aesthetics of existentialism is quite pronounced, moreover, they, creating a new theme of literary works, remain within the framework of traditional poetics, referring to Indian images, plots, religious foundations of Hinduism, as well as to their own self-awareness. However, the philosophical implications of works in Hindi and English are different. Writers interpret the foundations of existentialism in different ways, and the characters choose different ways to solve their internal contradictions.

In the light of the stated topic, the problem of why the psychological life of the characters of these writers is depicted differently is considered. If the heroes of K. Narain and N. Varma, accepting the absurdity of existence, do not see the infinity of suffering and death of meaning, building their lives around the belief in rebirth, then the hero of the works in English fatally accepts the frailty of existence, believing in his helplessness before fate.