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Keywords: Corpus Linguistics, Translation studies, Digital Rustvelology, Aphorisms, Georgian Language, Russian Language, Ukrainian Language
Abstract: This article presents a corpus-linguistic analysis of aphoristic expressions in the Georgian national epic The Knight in the Panther’s Skin by Shota Rustaveli and examines its translations into Russian and Ukrainian. The methodological approach is based on the “Rustaveli goes digital” project, particularly its method of phrase alignment. The analysis of the relationships between the Georgian original and the translations draws on the equivalence classification model by Henjum and Koller as well as on concepts from cognitive semantics. In addition, the phenomenon of the aphorism is examined in detail and theoretically defined. For the empirical study, six aphorisms were selected as examples. Three one-line and three two-line aphorisms were analyzed in order to account for expressions of varying length. In addition, the contextual embedding of these statements within the narrative structure of the epic was examined. The analysis reveals notable differences in translation strategies, especially with regard to information structure and rhetorical devices. While both translations largely preserve the universal and argumentative character of the aphorisms, the Ukrainian version shows greater lexical proximity to the Georgian original but often exhibits more profound structural changes. The Russian translation, by contrast, remains structurally closer to the source text but shows stronger semantic deviations. The results highlight the complexity of translating aphorisms and underscore their potential as objects of linguistic and translation-focused analysis.
Keywords: Translation Studies, Digital Rustvelology, Aphorisms, Georgian Language, English Language
Abstract: Shota Rustaveli’s epic The Knight in the Panther’s Skin is a distinguished work of medieval Georgian literature, translated into numerous languages worldwide. The present article is dedicated to the structural and linguistic analysis of a specific verse from the epic: ḳargi sakme ḳacsa zeda azom ture ar c̣axdebis. The verse is also examined from the perspective of translation studies. The article focuses on the contextual reading of this verse within the epic’s seventeenth chapter, where it appears, typically qualified as an aphorism, in the first line of the stanza, not the last one; a structural rarity. Particular attention is paid to the particle ture, which conveys indirect evidentiality and signals the speaker’s lack of direct experience with the event. This linguistic element conflicts with the classical criteria of aphorisms, such as categorical truth and universal validity. The analysis further explores the English translations by Marjory Wardrop, Venera Urushadze, and Lyn Coffin, all of which successfully convey the concepts of goodness and its reciprocal return. However, in every case, the evidential function of ture is lost. The article concludes that despite the verse’s conciseness and moral wisdom, its linguistic specificity, namely, the presence of an evidential marker, complicates its classification as a true aphorism.
Keywords: Split Ergativity, Corpus Linguistics, Linguistic Typology, Modern Georgian, GNC
Abstract: This paper offers a thorough analysis of the Georgian type of split ergativity, a typological phenomenon of languages switching between nominative-accusative and ergative-absolutive alignment systems based on grammatical or semantic circumstances. The study describes the main types of split ergativity across languages, drawing on fundamental typological and theoretical literature, especially Robert M. W. Dixon’s (1994) classification of conditioning elements including tense, aspect, person hierarchy, and phrase type. The Georgian language, whose intricate morphological and syntactic structure resists easy binary classification, receives particular attention as a significant example of morphosyntactic alignment variation since it displays several criteria triggering split ergativity such as tense-aspect, verbal class, voice, and control. This paper shows that Georgian is a true example of split ergativity conditioned by overlapping parameters, despite some analyses characterizing it as primarily ergative or active. The debate calls into question long-held beliefs about the function of person-based splits in Georgian that personal pronouns behave differently when it comes to case marking than nouns. This calls for a reconsideration of how person-based alignment is handled. The paper uses empirical data from the largest Georgian language corpus (GNC) to support the analysis, including real-world examples that show how ergative, nominative, and dative case-marking patterns vary among different constructions. In addition to supporting a more complex understanding of Georgian alignment, this corpus-driven approach adds to larger typological and theoretical discussions about the nature of alignment systems and ergativity.
Keywords: Rhetorical Question, Political Speech, Linguistic Manipulation, Georgian Language
Abstract: Language is a tool of social communication that is distinct and unique to each individual. One of the most widely used linguistic and expressive means of effective communication is the rhetorical question, which functions as a powerful mechanism of linguistic manipulation. The tendency to use rhetorical questions is particularly evident in mass media, especially in television programs, where speakers deliver ideological messages to viewers and attempt to influence public opinion. Rhetorical questions play a significant role in political discourse, as politicians aim to deliver their message persuasively to the public and gain their support. This paper analyzes the rhetorical questions identified in the pre-election speeches of Georgian politicians – on the one hand, within the context of political discourse, and on the other hand, within the framework of the communicative act. In our research, we took into account both the categories of the speech act – locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary – and the elaboration likelihood theory. We employed traditional research methods, including comparison and contrast, critical analysis, discourse analysis, functional-semantic analysis, as well as structural and linguistic-political analysis. The empirical material consists of rhetorical questions identified in the pre-election speeches of the leaders of the five parties that passed the electoral threshold in the parliamentary elections of Georgia held on October 26, 2024. The research revealed, on the one hand, the motivation of politicians – under what circumstances and for what purposes do the selected politicians use rhetorical questions – and, on the other hand, it describes the structure and components of contexts containing rhetorical questions. The paper represents an attempt to create a methodological framework that can be effectively applied to analyze a relatively under-researched phenomenon in the Georgian language – political rhetoric –and to identify the linguistic strategies employed by politicians within Georgian political discourse.
Keywords: Grammaticalization, Experimental Phonetic, Prosodic Characteristics of Georgian
Abstract: This article examines a specific case of the grammaticalization process in Georgian – the functional transformation of the verbal unit adga (‘stood up’) and the investigation of this process’s realization at the prosodic level. The study explores the prosodic characteristics that enable the differentiation between grammaticalized and verbal elements in oral speech. The research employs experimental phonetic methods, incorporating acoustic and auditory analysis of sentences. Acoustic analysis was conducted using Praat software, while prosodic annotation of the data was performed based on the ToBI (Tones and Break Indices) system. The findings revealed that grammaticalized constructions are characterized by enclitic structures, where the conjunction da (‘and’) attaches to the preceding grammaticalized word without any word boundary markers between them. From a pragmatic perspective, the grammaticalized adga + da appears as a single functional element. Conversely, in sentences where adga + da is not grammaticalized, inter-word pauses and/or intonational boundaries are observed between the verbal unit and the conjunction. The research results demonstrate that language distinguishes between grammaticalized and non-grammaticalized units through prosodic constructions. Accordingly, a comprehensive description of this phenomenon requires the analysis of other grammaticalized elements, which is significant from the perspectives of both theoretical and applied linguistics – specifically for the development of TTS technologies for Georgian and the establishment of orthoepic norms. This article presents a pilot study aimed at creating a methodological framework for broader empirical and typological investigations.
Keywords: Audiovisual Translation, Subtitles, Taboo Expressions, Korean-German
Abstract: In this day and age, language learning aided by watching media such as movies and series in the target language is becoming increasingly popular. However, languages are accompanied by cultural differences in expressions and usage. This sparks the question how culture-bound terms such as curses and insults or, more broadly, taboo language are dealt with in translation, especially regarding subtitles, to adequately convey their meaning. The objective of this paper is to examine the use of taboo language and its translation from a Korean source text to German subtitles in the Korean Netflix TV-show All Of Us Are Dead. The show is well known for its use of Korean slang and quickly gained popularity among language learners, making it an interesting subject of research to assess the utilization of translation strategies, particularly with regards to taboo expressions in Korean and how they are reflected in the German language. To come to a satisfying conclusion, qualitative as well as quantitative methods are applied in regards to aspects such as how often each translation strategy is used and how the translator dealt with translation on a pragmatic level.
Keywords: Sovietisms, Metaphor, Georgian Language, Political Discourse
Abstract: In specialized literature, expressions that metaphorically reflect the Soviet Union are referred to as Sovietisms. The Georgian language is particularly rich in Sovietisms, a fact that has a historical basis: in 1921, the Red Army fully occupied Georgia. The 70-year period of forced unification within the Soviet Empire left a lasting impact on the Georgian language. The names and surnames of many Soviet leaders served as the basis for new expressions. This paper discusses several of them: “Aurora’s Volley”, “Brezhnev’s Kiss”, “Denikin’s Time”, and “Stakhanov-like”. The paper cites illustrative material from contemporary Georgian political discourse. A conceptual analysis of specific cases is presented in two directions: a) identifying metaphorical structures and showing how a metaphor shapes a specific idea, and b) highlighting cultural significance and demonstrating how metaphors express the political positions of a given speech community. The results of the study show that in modern Georgian political discourse, Sovietisms are not merely ideological metaphors but also instruments of so-called hate speech. These expressions are used in explicitly negative contexts, primarily to describe pro-Russian sentiments. They serve as tools for ridicule, criticism, or even verbal attack against an interlocutor or the subject of discussion.
Keywords: Schopenhauer, Buddhism, Aesthetics, Liberation, Satori
Abstract: This study focuses on one of the central concepts in Schopenhauer’s philosophy: liberation. The possibility of liberation constitutes the core concern of the author’s ethics and determines the structure of his soteriology. Whether the metaphysics of the will is essentially pessimistic must be assessed in light of this very issue. Schopenhauer’s philosophy presents three possible paths to liberation, one of which is aesthetic – liberation through disinterested contemplation. This paper examines Schopenhauer’s aesthetics precisely from this perspective: as a possible path to salvation. On the other hand, the influence of Buddhist doctrine on Schopenhauer’s philosophy and the parallels between them are well known. Both philosophies portray the world as fundamentally painful for the individual and aim at liberation from this suffering. The aim of this research is to analyze the role of aesthetics in Schopenhauer’s philosophy as a means of denying the will, and to compare it with Zen Buddhist aesthetic theory, particularly as a potential catalyst for satori (sudden enlightenment), exploring the essential similarities and differences between the two traditions.
