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A Comparative Analysis of the Figurative Language in Arabic and South African Languages
Arabic and South African languages contain rich idiomatic expressions, many of which are based on body-related metaphors that play an important role in everyday communication. This study compares body-part idioms in Arabic and South African to examine how physical body concepts are used to express abstract meanings. Most previous research has primarily focused on English idioms, leaving a noticeable gap in studies concerning Arabic and South African idioms. This study intends to fill that gap based on the perspective offered by Lakoff and Johnson, who emphasize that metaphors are intrinsic to everyday communication. Drawing on the conceptual metaphor framework of Lakoff and Johnson, the research analyses the underlying conceptual structures of these idioms. A qualitative comparative approach was employed to analyse and compare body-related idioms selected from Arabic and South African languages. The data being analyzed was specifically chosen to form a corpus for this study. The analysis shows that both languages rely extensively on conventionalized body metaphors. Despite cultural and linguistic differences, the two languages demonstrate notable similarities in the use of body idioms, although some differences appear in their conceptual interpretations. These findings contribute to cross-linguistic studies of metaphor and idiomatic expressions, addressing the limited research on Arabic and South African languages in comparison to the more extensively studied English idioms.
On the Dual Nature of Sem-Phrases in Hungarian: Negative Quantifiers or Negative Indefinites?
Sem-phrases in Hungarian are negative indefinites accompanied by the negative emphatic particle sem ‘neither’. Preverbal sem-phrases differ from postverbal ones in that the former behave as negative quantifiers (NQs), while the latter resemble s-words, which are negative concord items (NCIs) like senki ‘nobody’. By adopting Ladusaw’s distinction between syntactic vs. semantic licensing, the paper offers an explanation for this variation in a purely cartographic syntactic framework. Earlier accounts turned around the universal vs. existential interpretations of negative indefinites. The present proposal derives the interpretive differences from their different licensing requirements. It extends the proposed analysis to negative connectives, where nominals precede sem ‘neither’, and negative conjunction constructions, where nominals follow sem ‘neither’. Preverbal nominals show quantificational properties only when they precede sem ‘neither’; postverbally, however, the same nominals are non-quantificational NCIs. Nominals following sem ‘neither’ are invariably NCIs. Therefore, a uniform quantificational analysis for all these items is untenable. Finally, the paper briefly discusses (még) ... sem ‘not ... even’ constructions with nominals modified by numerical quantifiers and classifiers, which mimic the behaviour of sem-phrases and nominals accompanied by sem ‘neither’ in preverbal and postverbal positions. All these differences follow from a special freezing effect called Criterial Freezing, which applies whenever the specifier of the SEMP functional projection is filled.
Linguistic Geoengineering: A New Paradigm for Discursive Infrastructure and Public Persuasion
This theoretical paper (1) defines linguistic geoengineering as a theoretical framework, (2) distinguishes its unique characteristics from established theories of language and power, and (3) analyzes its implications for public persuasion and democratic engagement. Linguistic geoengineering, a novel framework for analyzing language, power, and public influence, is defined as the deliberate, systematic restructuring of discourse environments with the goal of shaping collective perception, behavior, and decision-making. A typology is developed—metaphoric, narrative, lexical, and infrastructural engineering—demonstrating how linguistic practices can recalibrate collective perception, behavior, and decision-making. It addresses three overlooked aspects in current scholarship: intentionality, scale, and systemic impacts. This paradigm conceptualizes language as an engineerable environment, facilitating the analysis of how various actors, including states and activists, craft linguistic interventions to impact public life. However, this reframing presents ethical and methodological issues. How can scholars differentiate between organic discourse shifts and artificially constructed ones? What measures should be implemented to avert the misuse of language interventions? In what ways could the public oppose or counteract such interventions? Future studies must address these inquiries by formulating methodologies for identifying linguistic geoengineering in practice, analyzing its function across many crises and domains, and scrutinizing its normative consequences. This paradigm necessitates viewing language not only as a reflection of society but as a domain of design and conflict, where the contention over words represents a contest over futures.
A Metalinguistic Judgmental Analysis of Pakistani English Phonology by Odki Native Speakers
The study aims to explore the metalinguistic judgments of English syllable structures and lexical stress patterns perceived by Odki English as a Second Language (ESL) adult learners. The paper lays emphasis on phonological adjustments in Pakistan English spoken by the native Odki speakers and especially in their word stress and syllabification. The study examines syllables and stress perception and production by Odki speakers, which are attributed to their first language. The samples were gathered from six Odki-speaking undergraduate students in Karachi. The quantitative method was employed to analyse the frequency of syllable and stress variations. Stress and syllable division were analysed using a set of 100 English words that have different syllable counts. The identification of syllables and stress placement of English words was inconsistent, and some respondents identified these variables correctly, exhibiting partial adaptation. The results are intended to enhance cross-cultural communication and contribute to teaching the English language in Pakistan. The paper also revisits the previous studies regarding the phonological differences of Pakistan English, focusing on the impact of first languages such as Odki on the pronunciation of English. It further argues the role of other local languages such as the Pashto, Punjabi and Sindhi in English speech in Pakistan. The pronunciation of English in Pakistani English is also not given much attention in Pakistani education systems, thus causing a problem of fluency and accuracy.
Law as Psychic Ontology: Prohibition, Fantasy, and the Affective Life of Authority
This paper argues that law operates not only as an institutional or political order, but also as a psychic formation embedded within affect, desire, and recognition. The endurance of legal authority cannot be explained solely through coercion, consent, or procedural legitimacy. It also depends on how legality becomes internalized within psychic life and woven into attachments to order, belonging, and social intelligibility. Drawing on psychoanalytic theory, affect studies, socio-legal scholarship, and traditions within psychoanalytic jurisprudence, the paper develops an interdisciplinary account of how legal authority becomes emotionally compelling and socially durable. It examines how subjectivity is shaped through prohibition, fantasy, and ambivalent forms of recognition, and how collective symbols, rituals, and legal imaginaries sustain attachments to legality even under conditions of inequality, exclusion, or disillusionment. The analysis further argues that affect should not be understood as opposed to legal reason, but as part of the background conditions shaping how legal authority is perceived, interpreted, and inhabited. At the same time, affective responsiveness remains subject to normative constraints necessary for consistency, accountability, and procedural fairness. The paper concludes by proposing a psychoanalytic jurisprudence of attunement, one that treats legality as relationally and affectively lived while remaining attentive to the ethical and institutional limits of legal authority. Rather than abandoning legal reasoning, such an approach reconsiders how authority is exercised, experienced, and sustained within social life.
Humor Construction through Metaphor in a Stand-Up Comedy under Conceptual Blending Theory: A Case Study of The King of Comedy
Humor is essential in daily life and as linguistic research advances, its mechanisms have attracted increasing scholarly attention. Metaphor as a fundamental way humans conceptualize the world plays a key role in constructing humor. And stand-up comedy, combining verbal artistry with social critique, offers rich naturalistic data for linguistic analysis. To better understand how humor can be constructed through metaphor, this study analyzes the Chinese stand-up comedy program The King of Comedy, using Conceptual Blending Theory (CBT) as the analytical framework. The research aims to investigate how different types of metaphorical blending networks generate humor and to further explore the reasons behind the differences. Through a qualitative analysis of metaphorical humor drawn from the "pure performance" versions of the first three episodes, the study identifies four types of metaphorical blends: simplex networks, mirror networks, single-scope networks, and double-scope networks. The findings reveal that these networks construct humor through role reassignment, structural parallelism, frame dominance, and deep conceptual integration. Moreover, the study argues that the differences in humor construction paths can be attributed to two key factors: the depth of conceptual blending and the emergence of novel structures within the blended mental spaces. By illuminating the cognitive processes behind metaphorical humor, this study not only contributes to a more nuanced understanding of humor construction but also extends the application of CBT to the field of discourse analysis, particularly within the context of live stand-up comedy performances.
Emmanuel Levinas’s Ethics of Alterity and Its Relevance to Gender Equality in Patriarchal Indonesian Culture
Patriarchal culture in Indonesia continues to produce unequal gender relations and places women in subordinate positions across various areas of social life. This article aims to examine Emmanuel Levinas’s philosophical concept of alterity and to explore its relevance for efforts to promote gender equality within the context of patriarchal culture in Indonesia. Levinas’s philosophy of alterity asserts that ethical relations are grounded in an unconditional responsibility toward the “Other,” understood as the recognition of the dignity and uniqueness of every individual who must not be reduced to an object of domination. This study employs a qualitative descriptive approach using a literature review method, drawing on an analysis of Levinas’s major works as well as scholarly literature on gender and patriarchy in Indonesia. The data were analyzed interpretively to identify the conceptual relevance between the ethics of alterity and the struggle for gender equality. The findings indicate that the concept of ethical responsibility toward the Other provides a strong normative foundation for rejecting subordination, discrimination, and gender-based violence. Levinas’s thought thus offers a reflective framework that encourages the recognition of women as autonomous and dignified ethical subjects, thereby contributing to the development of more just, equal, and humane social relations in Indonesian society.
What Might Gadamer and Confucius Say About Educational Research? Towards a Better Understanding
This paper challenges the dominance of tacit empiricism in educational research by drawing on Gadamerian hermeneutics and Confucian modes of interpretation. Rather than grounding inquiry solely in measurable outcomes or predetermined procedures, the paper argues for cultivating historical and philosophical awareness as foundational to understanding educational experience. Through a commitment to methodological dynamism, it highlights how research can unfold through a dialogical movement that rejects prefabricated templates and resists the rigidity of linear empirical models. The paper further advocates for recognizing the multiplicity of embodied, relational, and moral truths that emerge across diverse contexts. Such truths cannot be fully captured by narrow empirical frames. They require modes of inquiry that intertwine understanding and acting, and that honor the unpredictable and evolving character of educational life. By integrating empirical resources with philosophical depth rather than positioning them in opposition, the paper proposes a more generous and expansive orientation to inquiry. Ultimately, the paper calls for reconsidering dominant research paradigms and disrupting entrenched dichotomies between the empirical and the conceptual. It calls for a more holistic, context attentive, and ethically informed approach to educational research, one that understands inquiry as an ongoing interpretive journey rather than a process of determining fixed truths.
Announcements
Announcement: Change in Publication Frequency
The Editorial Office of Cultural Arts Research and Development (ISSN: 2436-8539) is pleased to announce that, starting from 2026, the journal will change its publication frequency from biannual to quarterly. The journal will be published four times per year, in March, June, September, and December. This change aims to ensure more timely dissemination of research while maintaining the journal’s academic standards and peer-review process. Editorial Office Cultural Arts Research and Development
Announcement: Change in Publication Frequency
The Editorial Office of New Countryside (ISSN: 2758-1403) is pleased to announce that, starting from 2026, the journal will change its publication frequency from biannual to quarterly (January, April, July, October) This adjustment reflects the journal’s steady development and aims to better serve the academic community by ensuring more timely publication while maintaining rigorous peer-review standards. All editorial policies and review procedures will remain unchanged. Editorial Office New Countryside (ISSN: 2758-1403)
Announcement on Change of Publication Frequency
The Editorial Office of Philosophy and Realistic Reflection (ISSN 2759-7172) is pleased to announce that, effective from 2026, the journal will change its publication frequency from biannual to quarterly (March, June, September, December). Beginning in 2026, Philosophy and Realistic Reflection will publish four issues per year, reflecting the journal’s continued development, the steady growth in high-quality submissions, and our commitment to providing a more timely platform for scholarly communication. All editorial policies, peer review procedures, and publication ethics will remain unchanged. The Editorial Team remains committed to upholding the journal’s academic quality and integrity. We sincerely thank our authors, reviewers, editorial board members, and readers for their continued support. Editorial Office Philosophy and Realistic Reflection
Congratulations! Food and Drug Safety Is Now Indexed in CAS
We are pleased to announce that Food and Drug Safety has been officially indexed in the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS), one of the world’s most authoritative and comprehensive databases in chemistry and related sciences. CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society (ACS), is widely recognized for its rigorous selection standards and global academic influence. Inclusion in CAS signifies the journal’s scientific quality, editorial rigor, and relevance to the international research community. This milestone marks an important step in the journal’s development and further enhances the visibility, discoverability, and academic impact of published articles in the fields of food science, food safety, toxicology, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, and related interdisciplinary areas. We sincerely thank our authors, reviewers, editorial board members, and readers for their continued support and contributions. Food and Drug Safety will remain committed to publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed research and to advancing scientific exchange in food and drug safety research worldwide. We warmly welcome researchers and scholars to submit their latest work and join us in shaping the future of food and drug safety science.
Congratulations to New Environmentally-Friendly Materials Indexed in CAS!
We are pleased to announce that the academic journal New Environmentally-Friendly Materials has been officially indexed in CAS. This achievement represents a significant milestone in the journal’s development and reflects CAS’s recognition of the journal’s academic quality, editorial standards, peer-review rigor, and scholarly contribution to the field of environmentally friendly and sustainable materials. Since its launch, New Environmentally-Friendly Materials has been committed to: Upholding a rigorous and transparent peer-review process Adhering to high standards of academic ethics and publishing best practices Providing an open-access platform for the dissemination of high-quality research The inclusion in CAS will further enhance the journal’s visibility, accessibility, and academic impact, offering authors a more authoritative platform to disseminate their research to the global scholarly community. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to all authors, reviewers, editorial board members, and readers for their continued support and valuable contributions. Building on this achievement, the journal will continue to improve its publishing standards and promote high-quality academic exchange in the field of environmentally friendly materials and sustainable material science. We warmly welcome researchers worldwide to submit their latest work to New Environmentally-Friendly Materials.
Editor-in-Chief Communication Meeting Successfully Held!
We are pleased to announce that the Editor-in-Chief Exchange Meeting for Urban Planning and Construction was successfully concluded via Zoom on September 10. The editorial office and the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Salman Shooshtarian, conducted in-depth discussions on key issues concerning the journal's development. The main highlights of the meeting are as follows: A review of the journal's performance indicators Exploration of emerging research areas to encourage the submission of high-quality manuscripts Planning for themed special issues and academic cooperation with universities Initiatives to improve the journal's impact We sincerely appreciate the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Salman Shooshtarian, for his valuable insights and ongoing support in advancing the mission of Urban Planning and Construction. For more information about the journal or inquiries regarding submission, please contact the editorial office at upc@bilpub.com.