CONSTRUCTION, INTERPRETATION, AND CULTURAL VARIABILITY OF IRONY

Аннотация

Irony is a complex linguistic phenomenon that conveys meanings contrary to the literal interpretation, relying on contextual and cultural cues for its comprehension. This study investigates the construction, interpretation, and cultural variability of irony, with a focus on its adaptation in digital communication. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including discourse analysis, surveys, and experimental tasks involving native, non-native, and bilingual speakers across diverse cultural contexts. The findings reveal that irony is context-dependent, shaped by cultural norms, and increasingly multimodal in digital settings. Native speakers exhibited higher proficiency in identifying irony compared to non-native and bilingual speakers, who faced challenges due to limited cultural familiarity. Additionally, cultural differences were evident, with Western participants associating irony with humor and Eastern participants linking it to polite criticism. The study underscores the dynamic nature of irony and its implications for linguistic theory, second language acquisition, and intercultural communication. Future research should further explore its role in multilingual, developmental, and digital contexts.