The functioning of mythologisms in the political discourse of Germany (based on German-language internet publications)

Abstract

The article reveals the linguistic and pragmatic potential of mythologisms — precedent phenomena found in informational and analytical articles in the mass media of socio-political nature as a universal linguistic tool characterised by functional multi-vectoring. First and foremost, mythologisms serve as a means of describing and evaluating contemporary political realities in Germany. As stable, widely known images, plots, and names, mythologisms contribute to the implementation of key communication strategies: informing, attracting attention, evaluating, persuading, appealing to values, contrasting and contrasting, manipulating, etc.

Furthermore, the article illustrates the potential of mythologisms as an effective means of argumentation: mythological references, sourced from the legends and myths of Ancient Greece, are regularly reproduced in analytical media articles. With their rich imagery, mythologisms effectively realise their argumentative component in both formal and substantive terms. It is shown that, formally, mythologisms manifest themselves both as a component of the theses put forward and as part of the arguments presented, often illustrating topoi commonly accepted in rhetoric and serving as a means of concrete illustration. From the content point of view, these linguistic means function as components of various types of argumentation: factual, rational, authoritative, and emotional etc.

Finally, mythologisms traditionally characterise the individual style of a journalist who, with the help of this precedent phenomenon, not only describes, evaluates and persuades, but also realises his artistic and aesthetic intent. The article emphasises the stylistic component of mythologies as a text-forming factor, which also contributes to the transmission of complex meanings in a concise form within the framework of contemporary political discourse, influencing readers’ perception and shaping and transforming public opinion.

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