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http://doi.org/10.332.34/SSR.23.8
Inversion as a Mechanism of Influence in Political Communication
Nataliia Medynska,
Vice-Rector for Research, Professor of the Department of the Ukrainian language and Literature , Stepan Demianchuk International
University of Economics and Humanities, Rivne, Ukraine.
Svitlana Grytsenko
Professor of Department of General Linguistics,
Classical Philology and Neohellenistic Studies,
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine.
Dmytro Garaschuk
Law and International Relations Zhytomyr
Polytechnic State University, Zhytomyr, Ukraine.
Iurii Mosenkis
Professor of the Department of Ukrainian Language and Applied Linguistics,
Taras Shevchenko National University of
Kyiv, Ukraine.
Taras Holota
Institute of Philology,
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine.
Abstract
]In political communication, inversion is an effective means of expressiveness that emphasizes key messages, which evokes an emotional response, and forms the speaker’s authority. The relevance of the study is determined by the need for a deeper understanding of the functions of inversion in times of crisis, in particular, a full-scale war in Ukraine. The aim of the study is to identify the types, functions, and effectiveness of inversion as a rhetorical device in political speeches delivered in Ukrainian, English, French, and German during 2022–2025. The materials for the study were public speeches by key political leaders: President of Ukraine V. Zelenskyy, former US President D. Biden, current US President D. Trump, Prime Minister of Great Britain K. Starmer, President of France E. Macron, and leader of the German opposition F. Merz. The study is based on the content analysis of 800 speeches — 200 for each language (Ukrainian, English, French, and German). Quantitative analysis and an empirical survey of 200 respondents with different linguistic backgrounds were also used. As a result, 5 main types of inversions (the most common is verbal, 34.4%) and 4 main functions (the most common is emotional impact) were identified. The survey revealed significant interlinguistic differences in the perception of inversion constructions in political discourse. The academic novelty is the comprehensive empirical approach to the study of inversion as a cross-cultural rhetorical tool. The prospect of further research is the analysis of inversions in social networks in comparison with official speeches of politicians.
Keywords: inversion, political communication, rhetoric, emotional impact, public discourse, cross-cultural analysis, language strategy, syntax.