Semantic Shifts in the 21st Century: English, Polish, and Ukrainian Perspectives

Abstract

The article is devoted to analyzing semantic changes in the languages of the twenty-first century on the material of English, Ukrainian and Polish, in particular their types, cultural causes and the impact of globalization processes. The study’s relevance is stipulated by the need to understand the mechanisms of language evolution in the modern world and their adaptation to new cultural and social challenges. Focusing on comparing English, Ukrainian and Polish allows us to identify common trends and unique features of semantic changes. The purpose of the article is to investigate the nature and causes of semantic changes in the languages of the twenty-first century, to systematize neologisms by semantic categories and to analyze cultural factors that influence the development of languages. The study used descriptive analysis, comparative and contrastive approaches, classification of neologisms, and cultural analysis. The study results show that semantic changes, such as expansion, narrowing and transfer of meaning, reflect modern socio-cultural processes. In English, technological metaphors dominate; in Ukrainian, terms are driven by socio-political realities; and in Polish, anglicisms are adapted to local norms. The analysis also shows the influence of media, social networks and information technology on the emergence of new meanings of words.