CONFLICTOGEME TRANSFER IN ENGLISH, RUSSIAN, AND KAZAKH MEDIA
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Keywords:
conflictogeme, media discourse, interlingual transfer, cultural-pragmatic adaptation, critical discourse analysis, Kazakh-language media.Abstract
This article examines the dynamics of transferring conflict-generating language units—commonly referred to as conflictogemes – across English, Russian, and Kazakh media discourses. In light of the growing influence of global media and the intensification of ideological polarization, the study investigates how these expressions move between linguistic and cultural contexts and how their meanings and pragmatic functions shift in the process. Particular attention is given to lexical items and rhetorical patterns that serve to reinforce oppositional perspectives and contribute to the construction of polarizing narratives in public discourse.
The research is grounded in a multidisciplinary methodology that combines critical discourse analysis, componential and pragmalinguistic approaches, quantitative content analysis, and intercultural comparison. The empirical material comprises 90 media articles published in 2023–2024 across leading outlets: BBC and CNN (English), Kommersant and Izvestia (Russian), and Aikyn and Egemen Kazakhstan (Kazakh).
Findings reveal clear differences in how conflictogemes are deployed across these media environments. Russian-language discourse tends to rely on overtly aggressive and ideologically marked expressions; English-language materials favor institutional and legalistic framing; and Kazakh-language media adopt more implicit, culturally mediated strategies that reflect local norms of rhetorical restraint. The study introduces the term қақтығысоген (kaktygysogem) as a context-specific Kazakh analogue to the broader concept of conflictogeme, justified by its semantic precision and cultural relevance.
The article contributes to current scholarship by offering an in-depth comparative analysis of conflict expression across three media cultures. In addition, it provides a practical framework for examining the cultural adaptation of conflict rhetoric, with implications for media analysis, critical reading practices, and the development of ethical communication strategies in multilingual and multicultural settings.
References
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