This paper examines how the terms climate change and climate crisis and their French and Estonian equivalents are used in large language corpora, focusing on their collocational patterns, semantic profiles, and implied framings. The analysis focuses on three types of relations: adjectival modifiers, broader lexical co-occurrences, and verbal collocations. The results show that across the three language corpora, the term climate change is predominantly associated with institutional and technocratic contexts and with verbs and nouns referring to structured intervention, while climate crisis is associated with more urgent and affective vocabulary and is more closely linked to activist contexts. Beyond the shared metaphor of fighting the crisis, the data also point to the relevance of the metaphor of time in motion, particularly in climate change discourses.
When news coverage says that emissions drive warming or climate change displaces communities, the phrasing sounds neutral while it subtly writes the people behind it out of the story. The processes become the actors, while the polluters and decision-makers responsible for the harm slip out of view. Grammatically, this works by placing an abstraction in the subject position of an active verb, so that a process appears to act on its own. This article calls that effect “hypostatization”. The study examines how it shapes the language of climate journalism in the contemporary Anglo-American press. Drawing on interviews with six environmental journalists and corpus analysis of their published work alongside major outlets (NPR, CNN, The Conversation, and The New York Times), it traces how scientific vocabulary takes on evaluative weight as it enters public discourse and why even journalists who favor urgent terms like climate crisis keep using the established climate change so heavily. The analysis shows that this obliteration of responsibility happens mostly through ordinary, literal grammar rather than vivid metaphor: abstractions take the agent’s role through plain causative verbs far more often than figurative ones. Metaphor works alongside it as a parallel resource, since both draw on the same underlying sense of causes as forces, while softer terms like clean energy and carbon credits further dilute responsibility and emphasize technological fixes. By tracing how grammar, not just word choice, quietly redistributes agency and responsibility, the study contributes to ecolinguistics and critical discourse research.
The study investigates the rapidly expanding lexicon of carbon-related terminology in contemporary English through the lens of corpus-assisted ecolinguistics. Drawing on data from the NOW Corpus (2010-2025), a dataset of 562 carbon-related terms (mostly carbon + noun compounds) was compiled, comprising both established policy terms and novel creative items that are largely restricted to media and advocacy discourse. Frequency, collocation and concordance analyses were applied to reveal the major discursive patterns of their use throughout the period, with 12 distinct framings of carbon being identified as a result. It is demonstrated that since the late 2010s, carbon terminology has been restructured around balancing, offsetting, and future neutrality rather than absolute reduction, which raises concerns from an ecolinguistic perspective. The rapid proliferation of market-based framing (positioning carbon as a commodity) is also seen as discursively destructive due to its promotion of endless growth narratives. Special attention is paid to the critical metaframing of carbon, encompassing metaphorical terms that point out shortcomings in implemented climate solutions (e.g., carbon tunnel vision, carbon colonialism) and the deep embedding of fossil fuels within existing socioeconomic structures (e.g., carbon capitalism, carbon bubble). Overall, the inquiry provides an insight into the vastly creative ways in which carbon is construed in the media, revealing the competing – and potentially confusing – narratives of responsibility, control and action in relation to climate change. The paper concludes by calling for greater terminological coherence in climate communication and for further psycholinguistic and cross-cultural research into the social effects of carbon framing as the dominant focus of climate discourse.
This paper investigates the prominence and political reframing of metaphors in French climate policy discourse, with a focus on Emmanuel Macron’s promotion of his energy sobriety plan (sobriété énergétique) since 2022. While earlier French climate rhetoric often relied on well-established war and combat metaphors (Augé [2023]), Macron has introduced a distinct lexicon emphasising sobriety (sobriété). This term reframes climate action away from narratives of sacrifice and restriction toward metaphors of moderation, balance, and collective discipline, while simultaneously embedding ecological policy within the broader imaginaries of sovereignty and national resilience. Drawing on ecolinguistics (Stibbe [2021]) and Lakoff & Johnson’s conceptual metaphor theory, the analysis explores how sobriété functions as a metaphorical extension from the moral domain (temperance, restraint) into the energy sector, where it connotes both necessity in times of crisis (energy shortages, war in Ukraine) and virtue in long-term ecological transition. The study examines presidential speeches, government communications, and official reports (2022–2024), highlighting the argumentative potential of these metaphors: they soften the perception of constraint by casting reduced consumption as ethical and civic, while legitimising state-led planning as pragmatic rather than coercive. At the same time, the paper discusses the possible ambivalence of such metaphorical framing, which may, in certain configurations, contribute to individualising responsibility for collective ecological challenges. Finally, the analysis situates this metaphor within a multilingual context, asking how metaphors like sobriété, which may lack direct English equivalents (Mallard, 2024), challenge the European circulation of climate terminology. By tracing the use of these metaphorical repertoires, the paper argues that Macron’s discourse exemplifies how political actors strategically reshape climate lexicon to reconcile ecological urgency with cultural values of modernity, sovereignty, and collective endurance.
Dans un contexte marqué par des pressions environnementales accrues et par une certaine résistance sociale vis-à-vis de l’action nécessaire pour y répondre (Hamelin [2025]), cet article analyse l’évolution des représentations de l’action climatique dans la presse française entre 2008 et 2024, à partir d’une approche combinant terminologie textuelle et néologie. S’appuyant sur un corpus diachronique de plus de deux millions de mots, composé de quatre quotidiens généralistes (Le Monde, Libération, Le Figaro, Les Échos), l’étude vise à identifier les termes désignant des formes d’action climatique, à en suivre la distribution sémantique et à évaluer le rôle des néologismes dans le renouvellement conceptuel du champ. Une procédure en entonnoir, fondée sur l’extraction terminologique (Picton [2009], Drouin [2003]), l’analyse des contextes riches en connaissances (Meyer [2001]) et des critères diachroniques, permet l’identification de 138 néologismes. Les résultats montrent une prédominance des stratégies d’atténuation parmi les termes et néologismes identifiés, en particulier celles relevant de la transition énergétique, ainsi qu’une montée significative de l’adaptation et de la sobriété dans la période récente. L’analyse qualitative de plusieurs classes de néologismes montre que leur émergence ne correspond pas systématiquement à l’apparition de nouveaux référents, mais peut refléter la structuration conceptuelle accrue de certaines catégories d’outils (e.g. énergies renouvelables, capture et stockage du carbone), ou l’ajout d’une dimension normative à visée incitative à l’échelle de termes préexistants.
Cet article propose une analyse lexicométrique et discursive du climatoscepticisme à partir d’un vaste corpus de médias web francophones (skyfall.fr, climato-realistes.fr, climatetverite.net). Dans un contexte où des signaux alarmants de climato-obscurantisme sur les réseaux sociaux s’amplifient, l’étude vise à caractériser les stratégies lexicales, rhétoriques et idéologiques mobilisées par les producteurs de désinformation climatique. Après un état de l’art sur les typologies du déni climatique, nous décrivons la constitution du corpus (3 890 articles, plus de 4 millions de tokens) et procédons à une extraction terminologique via le Lexicoscope 2.0. Les résultats montrent une forte surreprésentation du vocabulaire scientifique (science, modèle, donnée, variation), révélant un discours qui se présente comme rationnel et méthodologique. L’analyse morphologique met en évidence une créativité néologique foisonnante, notamment autour des suffixes -iste / -isme et du préfixoïde climato- (climato-réaliste, climato-alarmiste, climato-catastrophisme, climato-crédule), produisant des néologismes destinés à la polémique. L’étude discursive révèle une polyphonie agonistique marquée, où les guillemets servent massivement à la distanciation (« dérèglement climatique », « urgence climatique »), et où les opérateurs de dévoilement (pseudo-, soi-disant, prétendu) visent à délégitimer les scientifiques, les modèles climatiques et les politiques de transition. Les champs lexicaux de l’idéologie et de la religion (dogme, croisade, prophète, religion verte) structurent un contre-narratif accusant l’écologie d’être une « nouvelle religion séculière ». Nous concluons sur la nécessité de cartographier ces stratégies pour mieux contrer la désinformation climatique et prévoyons, dans de prochains travaux, de cibler la thématique des énergies renouvelables.
“Good” vs “bad weather”, “beau” vs “mauvais temps”: we start with the observation that everyday language used to talk about the weather (in English as in French) tends to be extremely polarised, verging on the Manichean. Countless common expressions and metaphors contribute to this dichotomous form of thought, making it difficult to integrate new perceptions of the weather in the context of climate change. One can even speak of a form of cognitive dissonance when language (in particular metaphorical language) and experience appear to be completely at odds – as when the metaphor “le climat se réchauffe” (“the climate is getting warmer”) is used to express a positive evolution in the relationship between two countries. A first point of entry into our exploration of this polarised view is provided by the French proverb “Après la pluie le beau temps”. As is the case with its English “counterpart” “Every cloud has a silver lining”, it is a metaphorical proverb, insofar as it is mostly interpreted in a figurative way, providing evidence for the deep cultural roots of the “good” vs “bad weather” dichotomy. The linguistic exploration goes on to focus on a very common and popular type of discourse about the weather: weather forecasts, as presented on French and British television and radio. We propose a (very) preliminary corpus analysis, taking in lexical aspects – the choice and staging of words –, as well as rhetorical aspects – how statements are linked to arrive at a positive or negative evaluation of the situation described. Finally, we mention some glimpses of a possible evolution. « Beau » vs « mauvais temps », « good » vs « bad weather » : nous partons du constat que le langage courant utilisé pour parler de la météo (en français comme en anglais) tend à être extrêmement polarisé, voire manichéen. De nombreuses expressions courantes et métaphores contribuent à cette forme de pensée dichotomique, ce qui rend difficile de modifier la perception du temps malgré le contexte du changement climatique. On peut même parler d’une forme de dissonance cognitive quand le langage (en particulier le langage métaphorique) et l’expérience apparaissent en totale contradiction – c’est le cas par exemple quand la métaphore « le climat se réchauffe » est utilisée pour exprimer une évolution positive dans les relations entre deux pays. Pour commencer d’explorer cette vision polarisée, nous nous appuyons sur le proverbe français « Après la pluie, le beau temps ». À l’instar de sa « contrepartie » anglaise « Every cloud has a silver lining », il s’agit d’un proverbe métaphorique, dans la mesure où il est le plus souvent interprété de manière figurée, ce qui témoigne de l’ancrage culturel profond de la dichotomie « beau » vs « mauvais temps ». Nous poursuivons notre exploration linguistique en nous intéressant à un type de discours sur le temps à la fois très courant et populaire : celui des bulletins météo, tels qu’ils sont présentés à la télévision et à la radio françaises et britanniques. Nous proposons une très rapide (et très préliminaire) analyse de corpus, portant à la fois sur les aspects lexicaux – le choix des mots et leur mise en scène – et sur les aspects argumentatifs – la manière dont les énoncés sont orientés pour aboutir à une conclusion positive ou négative. Nous laissons, enfin, entrevoir quelques éléments possibles d’évolution.
Climate change is a highly mediatized, interdisciplinary and internationally coordinated domain whose lexis is co-produced at the science-policy interface and then recontextualized in wider public discourse. Treating climate change as a non-prototypical specialized domain, this paper examines neology in contemporary English climate discourse and answers six questions: (1) which grammatical types predominate; (2) which word formation processes are most prevalent; (3) is innovation chiefly lexical or semantic; (4) which communicative functions do neologisms serve; (5) how does productivity vary across time and institutional settings; and (6) where does creativity concentrate. Empirically, the analysis draws on a bounded, replicable institutional corpus (Climate Neology Corpus-Institutional, 2015-2023; 217,132 word tokens). Results show a marked nominal bias: multiword nominal units and transparent compounds dominate institutional texts, while verbs are comparatively scarce and arise mainly through prefixation and conversion. Compounding and prefixation are the most productive and portable processes in the corpus; blending and other playful formations are marginal, surfacing primarily at the edges of institutional uptake. A functional typology links processes to discursive work: referential terms name emergent entities and processes; operational terms package metrics and governance; evaluative terms develop systematic semantic prosodies; and identity labels index actors and practices. The paper argues that hypostatized nouns facilitate coordination and accountability while risking the erasure of agency, and it concludes with guidance for terminologists, translators, and educators on monitoring semantic drift and favoring transparent formations.
Cet article analyse la construction d’une axiologie négative dans le lexique du débat climatique en français et ses effets pragmatiques sur la réception des discours. S’inscrivant dans une approche croisant prosodie sémantique, Appraisal Theory et théorie des actes de langage, l’étude examine quatre lexies à forte circulation publique : écologie punitive, éco(-)terrorisme, crise climatique et dérèglement climatique. L’analyse s’appuie sur un corpus web généraliste large (frTenTen23 disponible sur la plateforme SketchEngine) exploré à l’aide de mesures collocationnelles et de concordances. Les résultats mettent en évidence deux régimes d’axiologie négative. L’un disqualifiant et polémique, mobilisé pour délégitimer des politiques ou des acteurs écologistes, l’autre évaluatif et mobilisateur, qui construit le changement climatique comme une situation critique et contribue à légitimer l’urgence et la nécessité d’une action collective.
Despite the proliferation of climate policy initiatives in India, there remains a notable gap in scholarship that critically examines how lexical choices in official discourse influence the sustainability and inclusivity of climate communication. This article investigates how climate change is lexically framed within Indian policy discourse, focusing on the intersection of eco-lexis and linguistic sustainability. Building on prior ecolinguistic use of the term (Liu et al. [2021]), this article reconceptualises eco-lexis, from a descriptive label for environmentally oriented vocabulary, into an integrated analytical tool comprising patterned lexical resources, semantic strategies, and evaluative orientations that articulate ecological issues within policy contexts. It is this reconceptualised construct, operationalised across six interrelated domains and applied in combination with semantic prosody mapping, metaphor analysis, and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to a corpus of Indian English-language climate policy documents (2015–2025), that constitutes the study’s analytical and theoretical contribution.The study employs a mixed-methods approach integrating lexicological analysis, metaphor identification, and semantic prosody mapping to analyze a corpus of policy documents, parliamentary debates, and official communications from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as well as press releases published between 2015 and 2025. The analysis reveals a dynamic interplay between scientific terminology (e.g., “mitigation,” “adaptation,” “carbon sink”) and more evaluative or euphemistic expressions (e.g., “climate resilience,” “green growth,” “climate variability”), highlighting the ongoing processes of terminological innovation and strategic framing. The paper further analyses the ways in which these lexical choices support or challenge linguistic sustainability, conceived as the capacity of language to adapt, remain inclusive, and foster ecological awareness across diverse audiences. The findings suggest that Indian policy discourse navigates between technocratic neutrality and persuasive advocacy, with lexical patterns influenced by institutional imperatives, international trends, and the demands of a multilingual society. The study ultimately seeks to deepen scholarly understanding of the ways in which language shapes, mediates, and sustains public engagement with climate change within the Indian policy context.
In the Apologia , Apuleius constructs his self-defense not only with the sharp tools of rhetoric but also through several Latin poetic insertions. Thanks to his testimony, we possess fragments of Ennius, Laevius and Hadrian, as well as references to the preneoterics Valerius Edituus, Porcius Licinus, and Lutatius Catulus, together with three of his own poems. These quotations illuminate the refined and erudite taste of Apuleius’ largely lost poetry, rooted in archaic and minor models yet linked to contemporary poesia novella . Above all, fragments 3‑4 Bl. (=4‑5 Str.-Corc.) reveal how rhythm, repetition, and the evocative power of names form, for Apuleius, a bridge between poetry and magic.
This article investigates the concept of senectus in Cicero’s Cato Maior , in relation to the author’s life and his views on otium and negotium . In order to do so, the philosophical sources behind his description of old age and death will be clarified and explored, aiming to delineate a unitary perspective on Cicero’s representation of the role of the senex . Old age will thus emerge as a peculiar state of βίος σύνθετος, holding a key role in Cicero’s political perspective, and as an essential moment of transition for the after world’s otium and glory.
This paper aims to study how Dionysius of Halicarnassus employs magical lexicon in a section of his treatise On Demosthenes (35.3‑8). As we shall see, the author adapts this vocabulary to his literary program, highlighting the powerful effects of Demosthenes’ persuasion and his mastery of oratory, while outlining it with several rhetorical devices. Likewise, we should note the close intertextual connections the passage maintains with Aeschines’ speeches, especially regarding the use of different topoi related to magic.
On the basis of a detailed analysis of its variants, M1 is found to diverge from Class II of recentiores, where it was assessed by Robertson; therefore, its stemmatic position is not certain. But it is remarkable because of valuable emendations or variants without parallel in other MSS, so suitable that they have been also proposed conjecturally (?) by modern scholars. Given that not even MSS by Petrarca or Boccaccio present such an appropriate text in face of problematic passages of the likely ancestor F, without calling into question the entire stemma, it will however be necessary to probe the origin of these readings and admit that for M1 the exclusive dependence from F is not proven yet.
In Cyris, Basinio da Parma was influenced not only by Propertius and Ovid, but also by Tibullus. In particular, in Cyris 6 Basinio imitates the poems from the Marathus cycle, in Cyris 7 he creates an elegy by reversing the first part of Tib. 1.2, and in Cyris 9 he takes a passage from Tib. 1.3 as his model. In all three elegies, Basinio echoes Tibullian characteristics or innovations. Furthermore, in Cyris, Basinio always offers an intelligent imitation by creatively rewriting the model through variatio.
In the Apologia, Apuleius constructs his self-defense not only with the sharp tools of rhetoric but also through several Latin poetic insertions. Thanks to his testimony, we possess fragments of Ennius, Laevius and Hadrian, as well as references to the preneoterics Valerius Edituus, Porcius Licinus, and Lutatius Catulus, together with three of his own poems. These quotations illuminate the refined and erudite taste of Apuleius’ largely lost poetry, rooted in archaic and minor models yet linked to contemporary poesia novella. Above all, fragments 3‑4 Bl. (=4‑5 Str.-Corc.) reveal how rhythm, repetition, and the evocative power of names form, for Apuleius, a bridge between poetry and magic.
This paper reexamines the tradition and interpretation of a fragment commonly attributed to Aristophanes by modern critics. First, it offers an extensive investigation of parallels, several of which had not yet been identified: ample space is devoted both to parallels concerning the sources (in particular Did. fr. 212 B.) and to parallels regarding the fragment itself, which reveal the anomaly of the cooking technique described therein, namely roasting fish under the sun. The data as a whole suggest a different attribution (Sophocles).
Recensione di Calvié, L. (2025). Aristoxène de Tarente: Éléments Rythmiques. Fragment et témoignages. Présentation, édition critique, traduction, commentaire et lexique par L. Calvié. Toulouse: Anacharsis, pp. 474.
This paper discusses two passages of the late antique hexameter poem P.Vindob. G 29788, fr. 3 Livrea = APHex I 45,3 Perale attributed to Pamprepius of Panopolis. In the first section, the author’s choice to use the noun μεληδόνες at l. 6 of the iambic prologue is analysed, highlighting the stylistic and semantic effects it conveys. In the second section, a different reading of the final part of l. 187 (πόμα λίμνης) is proposed, taking into account the narrative context of the poem, the earlier and contemporary literary parallels, and the paleographic aspects.
