Models of linguistic representation of odors in war discourse (based on the German language)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33910/1992-6464-2026-219-240-249Keywords:
war, discourse, odor, olfactory, source of smell, landmark odor, evaluationAbstract
Introduction. The olfactory dimension of military discourse is a significant component of the linguistic picture of war, necessitating the study of the methods used to verbalize odors and their role in conveying perceptual experience. This study aims to describe the means of linguistic representation of odors in military discourse, focusing on identifying universal principles of verbalization that transcend specific historical events.
Materials and Methods. The empirical data comprises a sample of text fragments from German-language monographs and literary works on military themes that include olfactory descriptions. The analysis is based on two strategies of linguistic encoding: (1) indicating the source of an odor or naming a landmark odor; and (2) describing an odor through its relationship to an abstract hedonistic norm.
Results. The olfactory picture of the world in military discourse is primarily formed around the central thematic group ‘the smell of death’, which includes the subgroups ‘smells of unburied bodies’, ‘smells of blood’ and ‘smells of burnt bodies’. The second most frequent group is ‘smells of a destroyed city’, followed by ‘body odor’, while the group ‘the smell of fear’ is mentioned less often. These thematic groups are expressed through various parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and participles. Participles are particularly significant, as they provide additional pragmatic weight to olfactory images.
Conclusions. In military discourse, odors function as key experiential markers, enhancing emotional expressiveness and performing a cognitive function. They ‘construct’ perceptions of war through the categories of ‘the smell of death’, ‘the smell of destruction’, and ‘the smell of fear’. These are fixed in collective memory and become reference points through which consciousness returns to the experience. Further study of the linguistic representation of odors will enable a more accurate description of the mechanisms of linguistic encoding of sensory impressions and their role in the interpretation of military conflict.
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