Undergraduate Seminar 2: Linguistic creativity in commercial naming 3304-1DZ3O-SL-042
The seminar will focus on corpus-based research into the creation of linguistic units in French - both new words and new multiword expressions – also from a comparative French-Polish perspective. The research will additionally address various modifications affecting both words (simple, derived, and compound forms) and multiword expressions already existing in the language, including collocations, so-called fixed combinations, and idioms whose meaning and structure are generally fully lexicalized.
Newly emerging linguistic units, whether single-word or multiword, are the result of speakers’ creativity, imagination, and freedom of expression. At the same time, they confirm one of the fundamental principles of the linguistic sign formulated by the father of modern linguistics, Ferdinand de Saussure: the variability and evolution of language, which are essential for language to remain a living “organism.”
Participants in the seminar will independently compile corpora of commercial names, that is, proper names of various businesses such as cafés, restaurants, hair salons, veterinary clinics, residential estates, and similar entities. These names will subsequently be analyzed with regard to the linguistic mechanisms underlying their formation, the forms of linguistic creativity that make them memorable (such as wordplay or modifications of sound and graphic form), the motivations behind their creation, as well as the communicative strategies and functions they perform in public space, including visual-communicative, affective-evaluative, poetic, and conative functions.
The seminar will therefore combine theory and practice. On the one hand, it will provide a forum for reflection and discussion based on the reading of selected texts devoted to lexical and phraseological creativity. On the other hand, during the classes participants will work with French and Polish language corpora available on the Sketch Engine platform, among other purposes to investigate lexemes and collocations that serve as a starting point for the creation of creative linguistic variations. Participation in the linguistics course “Introduction to Corpus Linguistics” (winter semester, code 3304-1D3XW-KJ-17) is recommended, as it provides basic knowledge of the tools used in corpus-based research.
As part of developing skills related to working with new technologies, the seminar will also explore the possibilities offered by AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) for the kinds of research conducted within the seminar. We will discuss both the advantages and the limitations of obtaining linguistic data from such sources in comparison with data available in language corpora. Participants will also become familiar with regulations concerning the ethical use of AI in academic work, particularly in the preparation of diploma theses.
Course coordinators
Mode
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of the seminar, the graduate knows and understands:
-to an advanced degree, the place and significance of the humanities, particularly linguistics, within the system of sciences, as well as their subject and methodological specificity (K_W01)
-to an advanced degree, the terminology in the field of general and French linguistics, with a particular focus on lexicology (K_W02)
-to an advanced degree, the major processes occurring in the language within the Francophone cultural area (K_W03)
-to an advanced degree, the trends and methodology of research on language, especially within the Francophone cultural area (K_W04)
-to an advanced degree, the core issues in general and French linguistics, in particular lexicology (K_W06)
-to an advanced degree, the principles of analysis and interpretation of texts belonging to various functional styles of the French language (K_W09)
-the basic principles of the creation and development of various forms of entrepreneurship, as well as the possibilities of practical application of the acquired knowledge in professional activities related to the field of study (K_W12)
-the basic concepts and principles in the field of intellectual property protection and copyright law (K_W13)
Skills The graduate is able to:
-apply basic theoretical concepts specific to general and French linguistics, in particular lexicology, when planning research (K_U01)
-utilize basic research skills in conducting studies, including the analysis of research problems, formulation of hypotheses, selection of research methods and tools, as well as the processing and presentation of results when preparing their own work in the field of linguistics (K_U02)
-recognize, analyze, and interpret various types of linguistic products, applying adequate terminology as well as appropriate research methods and tools (K_U03)
-present their own views by referring to various sources and fundamental theoretical approaches, and argue for their adopted point of view (K_U04)
-plan and prepare oral presentations in French and Polish, drawing upon basic theoretical approaches specific to linguistics (K_U05)
-prepare a written paper in French and Polish, drawing upon basic theoretical approaches specific to linguistics (K_U06)
-communicate orally and in writing in French at the C1 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) (K_U07)
-independently acquire knowledge and develop skills using various sources (K_U09)
-apply advanced information and communication technologies (ICT) in the process of acquiring knowledge and communicating in the field of linguistics (K_U13)
Social Competences The graduate is ready to:
-critically evaluate their own knowledge and skills (K_K01)
-maintain an open attitude toward individual and cultural differences (K_K02)
-adhere to the fundamental principles of professional ethics, as well as the rules regarding intellectual property protection and copyright law (K_K06)
Assessment criteria
Attendance is mandatory. Two absences are permitted.
Assessment criteria related to the preparation of the diploma’s dissertation:
Semester I: selection of the field of commercial naming (based on preliminary corpus surveys) that will constitute the subject of the study, as well as the thesis topic; compilation of the bibliography; presentation of a preliminary thesis outline.
Semester II: collection of research material, analysis of the collected data, preparation of the final version of the thesis outline, and preparation of a multimedia presentation.
In each semester, students are also required to give a presentation on topics related to the seminar's focus or the subject of their diploma’s dissertation.
The condition for passing the diploma’s seminar is the submission of the completed dissertation.
With regard to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in classes and when preparing a diploma’s dissertation, the rules set out in Resolution No. 42 of the Teaching Council for the Roman Philology degree programme, dated 15 April 2024, apply.
Resolution: https://romanistyka.wn.uw.edu.pl/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/RD_uchwala_42_15-kwietnia-2024_wytyczne_SI_.pdf
Appendix: https://romanistyka.wn.uw.edu.pl/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/RD_uchwala_42_15-kwietnia-2024_wytyczne_SI_ZALACZNIK_1.pdf
Bibliography
Bąba S. (1989). Innowacje frazeologiczne współczesnej polszczyzny, Poznań : Wydawnictwo Naukowe UAM.
Burska K., Cieśla B. (2014). Kreatywność językowa w przestrzeni medialnej, Łódź: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego.
Burska K., Cieśla B. (2022). Kreatywność językowa w marketingu, Łódź: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego.
Gaweł M. (2014). Kreatywność językowa w tutorialach internetowych, in: K. Burska, B. Cieśla (red.) Kreatywność językowa https://dspace.uni.lodz.pl/bitstream/handle/11089/31580/43-55%20Marta%20Gawel.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Kacprzak A. (2019). La néologie de l’adjectif en français actuel, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego, s. 9-13.
Kosek I. 2015. Frazeologia i frazeografia polska w badaniach po 1989 in: Język Polski XCV 1–2, s. 43-50.
https://repozytorium.amu.edu.pl/server/api/core/bitstreams/86eecc89-629d-40d5-a3f0-60ec91a3be2f/content
Krzyżanowska A. (2017). « Innovations phraséologiques dans la presse écrite », Synergies Pologne 14, 121-132.
Krzyżanowska A. (2019). « Variations, adaptations et modifications des séquences figées », Neophilologica 31, pp. 198-213.
Lewicki A. M. (1982). Problemy metodologiczne wariantów związków frazeologicznych in : Stałość i zmienność związków frazeologicznych (red. A.M. Lewicki), Lublin: Uniwersytet M.Curie-Skłodowskiej, s. 37-46.
Niclas-Salminen A. (2015). La lexicologie, Paris : Armand Colin, pp. 140-150.
Perrichon E., Shargay I., Sikora D. (éds) (2026).Créativité en langue et en discours. Humanités, Didactiques, Recherches / Sorbonne la Nouvelle, n° 7.
Poix C. (2021). Études francophones de néologie. Complexité terminologique, Neologica, HAL open science https://hal.science/hal-03856584/document
Pruvost J., Sablayrolles J.-F. (2019). Les néologismes, PUF, coll. « Que sais-je? ».
Sablayrolles J.-F. (2018). Néologie et/ou évolution du lexique ? Le cas des innovations sémantiques et celui des archaïsmes, Neolex 1.
Szerszunowicz J. (2011). Z badań nad synonimią jednostek frazeologicznych, Białostockie Archiwum Językowe 11, 257-281.
Zuffrey S. (2020). Introduction à la linguistique de corpus, London, ISTE Editions (wybrane rozdziały).
Internet-based sources
https://frazeologia.pl/index.php/bazawiedzyfrazeologicznej
https://fastercapital.com/fr/contenu/L-art-de-FOK--liberer-la-creativite-a-travers-le-langage.html