European International Journal of Philological Sciences https://www.eipublication.com/index.php/eijps <p><strong>Crossref doi - 10.55640/eijps</strong></p> <p><strong>Frequency: 12 Issue Per Year (Monthly)</strong></p> <p><strong>Areas Covered: Philological Sciences</strong></p> <p><strong>Last Submission:- 25th of Every Month</strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> Jenny Michel en-US European International Journal of Philological Sciences 2751-1715 <p>Individual articles are published Open Access under the Creative Commons Licence: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC-BY 4.0</a>.</p> The Digital Vernacular: A Linguistic Analysis Of Evolving Communicative Norms In Online Discourse https://www.eipublication.com/index.php/eijps/article/view/3470 <p>Purpose: The proliferation of internet-mediated communication has catalyzed profound shifts in language use, creating novel linguistic paradigms. This article investigates the evolution of English-language discourse in the digital sphere, aiming to move beyond the prescriptive debate of "degradation vs. evolution." It seeks to systematically analyze the lexico-grammatical, pragmatic, and multimodal features of contemporary online communication to map the contours of an emerging "digital vernacular."</p> <p>Methods: This study employs a qualitative discourse analysis of a multi-platform digital corpus compiled from public interactions on Twitter, Reddit, and TikTok. The analytical framework integrates principles from sociolinguistics, cognitive-communicative theory, and semiotics to provide a holistic interpretation of language in its digital context. The analysis focuses on identifying patterns of linguistic innovation, pragmatic function, and platform-specific norms.</p> <p>Findings: The results reveal a multifaceted linguistic evolution characterized by three core developments: (1) significant lexico-grammatical innovations, including the conventionalization of abbreviations and neologisms driven by economy and identity-marking; (2) a reconfiguration of pragmatic norms governing politeness, confrontation, and social etiquette online; and (3) the ascendancy of multimodality, where emojis, GIFs, and memes function as integral, meaning-making components of discourse rather than mere embellishments. Findings also confirm the existence of distinct "platform vernaculars," where technological affordances and community culture shape unique linguistic ecosystems.</p> <p>Conclusion: The study concludes that the linguistic changes observed in online environments represent a sophisticated and creative adaptation of language to a new medium. These evolving paradigms reflect a shift towards a more efficient, visually integrated, and socially indexed mode of communication. The findings challenge deficit-oriented views of internet language and underscore the need for revised frameworks in digital literacy, education, and communication theory to account for these new realities.</p> Prof. Lena S. Petrova Copyright (c) 2025 Prof. Lena S. Petrova https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 2025-11-01 2025-11-01 5 11 1 10