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The paper explores the literary expression of Slovak-Hungarian cultural and linguistic interactions in 21st-century Hungarian literature in Slovakia. It examines texts or text fragments that approach the issue from a linguistic perspective, or make visible the complexity of the interaction and its implications through the language of the literary text. Authors of Hungarian literature written in Slovakia use various strategies to represent the multicultural environment or to express the complexity of minority identity, which is not homogeneous, is marked by the interaction of cultures/languages/mentalities, and is confronted with the cultural and linguistic patterns of the majority. These textual strategies respond to Slovak-Hungarian contact from a contemporary minority perspective, showing parallels with the strategies of postcolonial literatures that articulate their particularity and peripheral position in relation to the “centre”, or to its codes and patterns. The analysed texts by Lajos Grendel, Péter Hunčík, Zoltán Szalay, Norbert György, and Pál Szász employ diverse strategies, all unified by a shared aim: to express distinct forms of minority identity through the language of literary text.

PurposeThis study aims to investigate multilingual representation on public signs in the High City tourist destination in Abha, Saudi Arabia. It also reveals the linguistic strategies used in such representation.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory qualitative study used purposive sampling to analyze bottom-up public signs collected from the target tourist destination. A preliminary analysis was conducted for a more in-depth qualitative analysis of every sign. An Excel database was used to provide a general description and a preliminary reading of the strategies before using an in-depth analysis of every sign.FindingsThe study revealed that monolingualism (Arabic or English) and bilingualism (Arabic and English) represented the High City as a tourist destination where the signs served information and symbolic functions. No single multilingual sign was found. Certain linguistic strategies were used on the public signs, including politeness, transliteration, hybrid representation, personification and fragmentary. Some tourist-oriented strategies, such as the crisis communication strategy, are still missing.Practical implicationsThese findings indicate that this tourist destination still targets local and regional visitors, and its linguistic landscape (LL) needs further consideration in terms of internationalization and targeting international visitors. This study implies that bilingual Arabic and English tourist destinations are potential domains for translation students and English language learners.Originality/valueThis study has focused on the LL of a newly established tourist destination in Saudi Arabia. It has shed light on the nuanced representations and strategies used through public signage. It contributes to understanding how linguistic elements can shape tourists’ perceptions and experiences.

The current study aims to explore the linguistic persuasive linguistic devices used in Jordanian online advertising discourse. It aims to recognize the most frequent linguistic strategies that affect the buying behavior of Jordanian costumers. The study employed a quantitative and qualitative approach to analyze 271 Jordanian advertisements collected from Facebook and Instagram between January and April 2025. The linguistic features of persuasive language were classified using Kannan and Tyagi (2013) framework. The results of the study identify 14 linguistic features used in the compiled data. Among these features, it was found that four linguistic persuasive devices were dominant, namely colloquial language, imperatives, long noun phrases and short sentences. On the contrary, the findings revealed that alliteration, hyperbole, rhyme and neologisms were the least dominant features. This indicates that Jordanian advisers favor the linguistic features that mirror the values and conventions of online communication and Jordanian culture such as solidarity, intimacy, familiarity and informality. The study provides different recommendations for marketers, advisers and educators to adopt cultural values in designing online advertisements.

This study explores the linguistic discourse of death and the afterlife among Swahili speakers. Using a cognitive linguistic lens, data were collected from eight funeral ceremonies and twelve YouTube videos to address two research questions: (1) What linguistic strategies do Swahili speakers employ when discussing death and the afterlife? and (2) What meanings are embedded in the Swahili language that reflect people’s conceptualisations of death and the afterlife? The results reveal that death constitutes a sensitive discourse within the Swahili community. Consequently, seven predominant linguistic strategies were identified: metaphoric expressions, euphemisms, personification, hyperbole, proverbs and sayings, idiomatic expressions, and the use of passive voice. Additionally, six key perceptions emerged, reflecting views of death as a journey, a transition to a divine realm, rest, separation, potential reunion, and a ruthless force. While influenced by Christian and Islamic beliefs, core theological concepts such as accountability and resurrection are not always prominently featured. Instead, the discourse emphasises a continuation of life in a heavenly domain after death, without rigid cosmological constraints. This research offers valuable insights for both academic and non-academic audiences. However, its limitations include the exclusion of interviews, which would provide the voices of speakers on the matter, and the reliance on only verbal data, thereby missing detailed meanings that would be conveyed by non-verbal cues and contextual nuances. The implications of the study, its limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

The applicability of Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory, originally formulated for Western languages, is addressed by extending its utility to the Assamese linguistic and cultural context. Delving into the positive politeness framework, the study meticulously categorizes these strategies into fifteen subtypes. Through the analysis of thirteen Assamese stories, the research unveils a nuanced understanding of how speakers adeptly employ these strategies interchangeably to elicit favorable responses while preserving the positive face of the hearer. The research aims to identify instances of positive politeness as proposed by Brown and Levinson by analyzing dialogue data from thirteen selected stories in the collection “Burhi Aair Xadhu” by Laksminath Bezbaruah. This book, a compilation of oral tales by Bezbaruah, was first published in 1911. Numerous editions have been released over the years, and the version used for this research is the 2018 edition by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. The findings reveal that out of the fifteen sub-strategies for positive politeness proposed by Brown and Levinson, five were most frequently used in the characters’ conversations within the stories. Among these, one sub-strategy was particularly dominant. A quantitative analysis of all the data has been conducted to support these observations. The findings reveal a tactical approach among speakers, demonstrating a judicious alignment of politeness strategies with specific situational demands. Quantitative analysis further substantiates these insights, emphasizing the intentional nature of language use. The frequency of the fifteen sub-strategies within the sample stories not only validates their application but also illuminates the deliberate and thoughtful selection of words and sentences. This analysis underscores that communication is a nuanced process influenced by reasons, desires, and latent wants of human beings.

Power and national identity play crucial roles in American diplomatic language and in shaping international communications. An investigation of the construction of American national identity and power is presented in this article via the examination of various linguistic strategies used in American diplomatic discourses in thirteen purposely selected speeches delivered by US ambassadors to Iraq since 2003. Van Dijk’s theory of critical discourse analysis (CDA) and Foucault’s theory about power, supported by Halliday’s functional linguistics, were used to investigate the construction of power and national identity via the examination of specific linguistic features. A mixed-methods approach was used in this study: The quantitative method entailed the application of a corpus tool to count the frequency of each linguistic feature using the Lancaster Corpus (LancsBox 6.0) program to highlight their significant distributions and variations in conveying power and identity. Conversely, the qualitative method was used to reveal the functional roles of these linguistic features in constructing power and identity in the ambassadors’ speeches. The findings showed that the strategic American diplomatic discourses concerning Iraqi issues were argumentative in nature, identified based on the use of numerous modal verbs and tenses, as US ambassadors influenced various areas of administrative life in Iraq since 2003. Furthermore, the extensive use of the first-person pronoun contributed to indicating clear, unilateral directions in the US diplomatic speeches addressed to Iraqi leaders. Therefore, personal pronouns, repetition, and the active voice were applied ideologically to construct national identity and power in American diplomatic discourses.

This research delves into the linguistic strategies employed by Iran and Israel amidst the nuclear program crisis, focusing on manipulative tactics utilized by both sides. The study aims to analyze official statements, speeches, and media communications to unveil manipulative techniques and their influence on public opinion and international relations. The research methodology involves a thorough examination of primary sources like official statements, speeches, and media interviews from key Iranian and Israeli political figures. These sources will undergo qualitative linguistic analysis to scrutinize rhetorical devices, manipulative strategies, and contextual factors surrounding the crisis. The study aims to uncover patterns of manipulation and persuasion employed by Iran and Israel through linguistic tools such as euphemisms, emotional appeals, and framing. By identifying these techniques, the research seeks to elucidate the intended effects on diverse target audiences and provide insights into how language shapes public opinion, influences diplomatic negotiations, and advances political agendas. The findings of this study will contribute to a nuanced understanding of the linguistic strategies used by Iran and Israel in the nuclear program crisis. By shedding light on manipulative strategies employed by both countries, this research aims to enhance comprehension of language's role in geopolitical conflicts while offering implications for policymakers, diplomats, and researchers navigating complex political dynamics.

This study investigates gender representation in the language of nine Independence Day Speeches (IDS) made by King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein (KAII). Since he took power in 1999, KAII delivered nine IDS on May 25th. The speeches were given in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2022. Aimed at Jordanians, these speeches are concise and relatively short, totalling 6000 words. To analyse gender representation, the study utilises the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) approach. Gender representation is assessed based on how KAII's language addresses both men and women equally. Findings reveal that KAII has incorporated notably gender-representative language in his political discourse. He adopted three linguistic strategies in these IDS to develop this language: using plural lexical units instead of singular ones, simultaneously referring to both genders, and employing gender-neutral lexical units. From a gender standpoint, the results suggest that the language in the IDS differs significantly from the prevailing androcentric political discourses in Arabic-Islamic societies. The findings also imply that Arabic, usually categorised as a gendered language, can indeed be gender-representative if the users exhibit the right attitudes, determination, and apply suitable linguistic strategies to reshape current Arabic usage. In conclusion, this study's findings make a unique contribution to the areas of language and gender.

AI technologies play a transformative role, making the clear communication of related advancements increasingly critical. Yet, the use of metadiscourse in technology news remains underexplored, particularly in how linguistic strategies are tailored to diverse audiences. This study investigates metadiscourse features in AI-related news articles, analyzing their interactive and interactional dimensions across headlines, subheadings, and body text. Using a corpus of 1,084 MIT News articles from 2015 to 2024, and applying Hyland’s metadiscourse framework, the study reveals distinct patterns across sections. Interactional features, such as hedges, boosters, and engagement markers, are most prevalent in the body, where they balance authority and audience connection, while the sub-header exhibits the highest relative density of such features. Interactive markers are most concentrated in sub-headers, with transitions dominating across all sections to aid coherence and reader orientation. Correlation analysis shows the strongest co-occurrence of both dimensions in the body, supporting complex argumentation, while headers and sub-headers emphasize clarity over the author’s stance. Temporal analysis indicates a marked decline in both metadiscourse dimensions during the 10-year period, reflecting a shift toward more neutral, concise, and standardized reporting shaped by digital reading habits and AI-assisted writing tools. These findings highlight the adaptive rhetorical strategies in AI journalism and demonstrate the importance of metadiscourse in framing information for effective public understanding.

Although Ponzi schemes have existed since the 1800s, contemporary financial challenges have rejuvenated them while the Internet has enhanced their proliferation, particularly in developing countries. The present study analyses select discursive features for digital deception in Nigerian online Ponzi schemes. We identify the use of stance and linguistic engagement, formulaic expressions and politeness strategies, narrativity, naming, and lexical range as techniques used by scheme creators. These linguistic and discursive choices are wielded as tools to attract customers and, ultimately, to deceive. The overt propagation of financial gains has underlying ideological implications, as it projects a sense of communality and encourages financial leverage which are in turn exploited to con unsuspecting – often greedy – subscribers. We conclude that language use in Ponzi schemes is intentionally crafted to appeal to diverse individual sentiments, particularly within developing economies where poverty is widespread and people seek to make money through any means in order to survive.