Language/Literature paper by Zsemlyei, Borbála
How Does Covid Shape Our Language (Accepted)
Type of Abstract (select):Abstract (max. 250 words):
In the context of the pandemic, there is a completely new vocabulary that emerged with great speed: new words and phrases appear and disappear with the changing reality of the virus. As a consequence, we are living witnesses to how the language works, how it reacts to everyday reality. The presentation is based on a project conducted with the participation of researchers from Babes-Bolyai University and Sapientia University which aims to analyse the language use of Hungarian online media in Transylvania. 9 online platforms were analysed in the period of 22-29 March, 2021: Bukaresti Rádió, Erdély Online, Főtér.ro, Kolozsvári Rádió, Krónika Online, Marosvásárhelyi Rádió, Maszol, Székelyhon and Transindex, and the database exceeds 400.000 words.
The presentation is a case-study in order to form an accurate image of the pandemic-related vocabulary, and it focuses on the online articles which appeared on the platform of Bukaresti Rádió. In the period of the research, a total of 454 coronavirus-related lexemes appeared on the online platform, and based on this database one can draw conclusions on the mechanisms of language, namely what are the ways to enrich vocabulary (eg. loan-words, compound words, derivations etc.).
Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
I am an assistant professor at the Department of Hungarian and General Linguistics at Babes-Balyoi University, Cluj for almost twenty years. I teach disciplines such as General Lunguistics, Morphology, Syntax, the History of the Language. My main fields of research are the Hungarian language used in Transylvania between the 15th and 19th centuries on the one hand, and on the other, the language use of Hungarian (electronic and online) media in Romania.