Corpus-Based Study of Discursive Representation of ‘Other’ in Diachronic Perspective

Philological Sciences, English Philology Department, Volgograd State University, Russia  

^* Corresponding author: kochetova@volsu.ru

Abstract

Based on the corpus methodology the paper presents the results of diachronic analysis of the discursive representation of ‘Other’ by comparing two corpora, one comprising texts of travelogues dating back to the end of the 19^th century and the corpus of present day blogs on travel. The key word tool of LancBox64 software allowed extracting the list of key words, from which lexemes that represent ‘Other’ were selected and categorized. The sketch tool was used to build word sketches for the lexemes identified to revel deffereces in patterns of meaning. The data obtained allowed us to contrast and compare the means of discursive representation of ‘Other’ in diachronic perspective, describe discursive strategies and determine historical and cultural patterns reflected in the discourse practice. Comparative analysis of statistical data in the periods under study revealed dynamic changes that are manifested in the use of peculiar nominative means that represent categories of social actors; employment of attributive and verbal evaluative lexemes that are used for discursive construing of other cultural society representatives in the consciousness of Western people.