Ślady pandemii wywołanej wirusem SARS-CoV-2 w potocznym języku polskim. Analiza wstępna
Traces of a SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Polish. Preliminary analysis

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the article is to characterize the first effects of the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the common Polish language. The presented analyses are preliminary, as the article is written before the peak of COVID-19 infection in Poland. However, already at the initial stage of the pandemic it is possible to capture its impact on the language in three main areas: creation of neologisms, transmission of specialized concepts to the common language and modification of the meanings of terms already existing in it. All three linguistic phenomena are of great importance for the study of the current state of the Polish colloquial language and testify to its constant, though often difficult to grasp, transformations. The comments and conclusions presented in the article may serve as a starting point for further analyses to be carried out in the subsequent stages of the pandemic, as well as after its expiration. They are also an example of how events of major social importance are quickly reflected in language structures. Similar linguistic phenomena were also observed in the context of other important events of recent decades, including the Smolensk catastrophe or the death of Pope John Paul II.

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