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20 pages, 41213 KB  
Article
Wi-FAB: An Applied Educational Workflow for Prototyping Discrete Components with Planar-Joint Assemblies Through Creative Robotics
by Gonçalo Castro Henriques, Pedro Engel, Victor Sardenberg, Davide Angeletti and Roberto Naboni
Buildings 2026, 16(6), 1212; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16061212 - 19 Mar 2026
Viewed by 313
Abstract
Scarce global resources and reliance on non-renewable materials demand ecological, technology-integrated solutions. In Brazil, abundant wood resources remain underused in architectural education and practice. Introducing skills in curricula is essential for change and future adoption. This study developed a computational and digital fabrication [...] Read more.
Scarce global resources and reliance on non-renewable materials demand ecological, technology-integrated solutions. In Brazil, abundant wood resources remain underused in architectural education and practice. Introducing skills in curricula is essential for change and future adoption. This study developed a computational and digital fabrication methodology to rethink wood, exploring collaborative robotic assembly to build an embodied understanding of construction constraints. The Wood Innovation for Architecture in Brazil (WI-FAB) unites LAMO UFRJ and SDU CREATE robotics expertise and frames a pedagogical experiment in sustainable wood-structure design. The semester-long course tested whether the design framework could link computation, material behaviour, and assembly constraints as a pedagogical tool; the intensive workshop investigated how robotic assembly can enhance physical–digital workflows and inform future integration. The research-through-teaching methodology consisted of three phases: preliminary research, course testing, and a robotics workshop testing assembly workflows. Preliminary research developed a pedagogical framework comprising a kit of parts, joint types and string grammars tested within the semester-long course to support parametric rules and assembly sequencing. Participants assembled component “letters” that combined into “words” and then into “phrases”, developing computational and constructional understanding and converting parametric rules into tangible prototypes through iterative design-build-test cycles. Key outcomes include validation of parametric assembly rules through string grammars in the course; analysis of the robotics workshop applied four criteria (Assembly Movement; Component Geometry and Dimensions; Component Number and Slot Number; Complexity and Assembly Time) to evaluate assembly performance and workflow integration. Robotics stimulated physical–digital loops, accelerating design-to-assembly learning and informing full-scale developments. WI-FAB promotes reversible assembly, material reuse and circular-economy principles and contributes to the development of the forthcoming Sabiá parametric plugin for wooden joint design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Architecture, Urbanization, and Design)
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27 pages, 864 KB  
Article
Variable Agreement Constructions in Spanish: Between Perception Modalities and Conceptual Foregrounding
by Renata Enghels and Mariia Baltais
Languages 2026, 11(3), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages11030039 - 27 Feb 2026
Viewed by 435
Abstract
This article investigates how cognitive and grammatical mechanisms shape variable singular–plural agreement in Spanish perception–verb constructions, a domain where speakers alternate between agreement with the postverbal NP2 and agreement with the infinitival complement. Building on usage-based and cognitive linguistics approaches, this study [...] Read more.
This article investigates how cognitive and grammatical mechanisms shape variable singular–plural agreement in Spanish perception–verb constructions, a domain where speakers alternate between agreement with the postverbal NP2 and agreement with the infinitival complement. Building on usage-based and cognitive linguistics approaches, this study examines whether factors related to perceptual modality and conceptual salience underlie these alternations. A corpus analysis of pronominal infinitive constructions with ver and oír reveals divergent patterns across modalities, with visual perception favoring plural agreement and auditory perception favoring singular agreement. To evaluate whether these tendencies reflect deeper linguistic preferences, an acceptability-rating task systematically manipulated modality, agreement, and animacy. The results show no overall interaction between modality and agreement, but they identify a robust effect of animacy: sentences with human referents received higher ratings than those with inanimate referents. Moreover, animacy modulated the influence of modality and agreement in opposite directions, suggesting that speakers’ evaluations are sensitive to the ontological nature of the perceived stimulus. Together, the findings show that agreement variation reflects flexible conceptual construal and that corpus and experimental evidence offer complementary insights into the interface between morphosyntax, perception and salience in Spanish. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Developments on the Semantics of Perception Verbs)
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29 pages, 10558 KB  
Article
AI-Powered Interpretation of Traditional Village Landscape Language: An Analysis of Xinye Village in Zhejiang, China
by Yanying Liang, Tao Chen and Zizhen Hong
Sustainability 2026, 18(5), 2183; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18052183 - 24 Feb 2026
Viewed by 490
Abstract
Amidst rapid urbanization and modernization, numerous traditional villages in China face severe challenges, including landscape homogenization and the erosion of their distinctive characteristics. Addressing this issue requires a method capable of systematically identifying, analyzing, and reconstructing both the landscape and its underlying cultural [...] Read more.
Amidst rapid urbanization and modernization, numerous traditional villages in China face severe challenges, including landscape homogenization and the erosion of their distinctive characteristics. Addressing this issue requires a method capable of systematically identifying, analyzing, and reconstructing both the landscape and its underlying cultural features. This study proposes a digital analytical approach that integrates multimodal artificial intelligence with landscape language theory to address the homogenization of cultural landscapes in traditional Chinese villages. Taking Xinye Village in Zhejiang Province as a case study, the research systematically decodes its landscape spatial narratives and underlying cultural genes. This framework systematically deconstructs village landscapes across four levels: “vocabulary, context, grammar, and semantics”. The village image database is first automatically recognized and statistically analyzed by computer vision technology, which extracts 31 core landscape vocabulary items from three main categories and nine subcategories. Second, Retrieval-augmented Generation technology is employed to synthesize from the constructed domain-specific corpus, a natural context structured around Yuhua Mountain and Daofeng Mountain, as well as a cultural context based on ancestral hall order, connected through folk activities, and idealized by farming and reading passed down through generations. Building on this framework, a multimodal model was used to examine the spatial composition and combinatorial laws of landscape features. Six essential dimensions—spatial layout, visual order, element combination, functional relationships, circulation layout, and scale correlations—revealed the spatial grammar of shuikou landscape. Lastly, the semantic values conveyed by the landscape vocabulary were thoroughly analyzed across three dimensions—form, function, and culture—by integrating a knowledge base. This work creates a landscape language atlas of Xinye Village by combining these studies and using a linguistic model of “character-word-sentence-paragraph”. By methodically deciphering the clan’s cultural code of “farming and reading passed down through generations”, this clearly reconstructs the spatial narrative logic from micro-elements to macro-patterns. This research not only advances the study of landscape language in traditional villages from qualitative description toward a systematic, digital, and interpretable paradigm but also provides an operational theoretical and methodological foundation for the in-depth interpretation, conservation, and transmission of traditional village cultural landscapes. Full article
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20 pages, 2185 KB  
Article
Legitimization or Delegitimization? A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of the 2025 Los Angeles Protests in CNN and Fox News
by Xinyu Fang and Fangfeng Dong
Journal. Media 2026, 7(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia7010030 - 11 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1199
Abstract
In the context of polarized media discourse, this study examines how outlets with distinct political leanings constructed multimodal representations of the 2025 Los Angeles protests. Adopting a corpus-assisted Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) framework, this study integrates Entman’s framing theory with Kress and [...] Read more.
In the context of polarized media discourse, this study examines how outlets with distinct political leanings constructed multimodal representations of the 2025 Los Angeles protests. Adopting a corpus-assisted Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) framework, this study integrates Entman’s framing theory with Kress and van Leeuwen’s visual grammar to analyze news coverage of the protests. The results reveal a divergence in multimodal strategies. Fox News employs a delegitimization frame through a dominant strategy of reinforcement, where images serve as direct evidence for textual claims. Conversely, CNN constructs a conditional legitimacy frame via a more nuanced strategy, through which the outlet strategically utilizes multimodal contradiction to negotiate with the “protest paradigm” and mitigate the visual reality of disorder. The findings demonstrate how partisan media leverage distinct multimodal strategies to reconstruct opposing social realities. The study contributes to political discourse research by going beyond textual bias to reveal how multimodal strategies function in media polarization environments. Full article
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24 pages, 1092 KB  
Article
The Emergence and Trajectories of the Glocalization Concept (1990–2025)
by Zijing Li, Daniel Caballero-Juliá, Arnaud Waquet and Philippe Campillo
Societies 2026, 16(2), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16020043 - 29 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1015
Abstract
This article presents a systematic, comparative, and reproducible mapping of the scientific literature examining how the term glocalization is mobilized in contemporary research. We analyze a corpus of 2200 articles (1990–September 2025) from Web of Science and Scopus and report in line with [...] Read more.
This article presents a systematic, comparative, and reproducible mapping of the scientific literature examining how the term glocalization is mobilized in contemporary research. We analyze a corpus of 2200 articles (1990–September 2025) from Web of Science and Scopus and report in line with PRISMA 2020 and PRISMA-ScR (scoping). Methodologically, we combine PRISMA-ScR-aligned screening with the bibliometric and lexicometry mapping of metadata, complemented by the qualitative interpretation of a purposive subset of key texts to contextualize the mapped trajectories. Following normalization, we apply co-occurrence and correspondence analyses to identify lexical proximities and cross-disciplinary translation zones. We ask how glocalization is conceptualized, the contexts in which it is deployed, and whether classic theoretical frameworks retain their explanatory power. Findings show a gradual shift from a mainly conceptual to more operational register. Regional differences are marked yet organized around a core of governance, multilevel coordination, and collective practice. The disciplinary landscape shows continuity between techno-applied and reflexive approaches, supported by bridging disciplines (sociology, communication, education, health, sport) that translate a general grammar into research and intervention tools. We offer a cumulative methodological framework for tracing the scientific trajectory of glocalization. As a bridge concept between theory and action, glocalization provides an explanatory lens on transformations and resistances in early-twenty-first-century globalized society. We therefore position this study as a PRISMA-traceable corpus construction combined with bibliometric and lexicometry science mapping. Full article
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14 pages, 198 KB  
Communication
Between Poetry and Philosophy
by Charles Altieri
Philosophies 2026, 11(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies11010013 - 28 Jan 2026
Viewed by 676
Abstract
Poetry is not philosophy, nor was it meant to be, except on rare, glorious occasions. And only Wittgenstein seems willing to claim that philosophy should be written as poetry. Yet it is difficult to imagine poetry not wanting to impinge on the cultural [...] Read more.
Poetry is not philosophy, nor was it meant to be, except on rare, glorious occasions. And only Wittgenstein seems willing to claim that philosophy should be written as poetry. Yet it is difficult to imagine poetry not wanting to impinge on the cultural roles played by at least some philosophy. And some philosophers, like Hegel and Heidegger, want to influence the course of poetic practice. So it seems useful to inquire into the various ways these two disciplines can overlap or complicate one another’s modes of inquiry, even if one has no hope of securing abstract definitions for either practice. Those with the appropriate philosophical background, for example, could articulate tensions within a culture’s intellectual life as a means of specifying how an author develops emotionally resonant concrete experiences grappling with this environment. One example might be examining how the need to address Humean skepticism helped shape the development of Romantic ways of making constructive imagination inseparable from attentive states of perceptive involvement in the world. Another example might focus on efforts by contemporary poetry to correlate the work performed by ordinary language philosophy with Heideggerean ideals of building and dwelling potentially applicable to the frameworks provided by philosophical grammar. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Philosophical Contexts for Reading Poetry)
28 pages, 33005 KB  
Article
Innovative Extraction and Design Application of Architectural Memes in Ganxi Former Residence, Nanjing, China, Based on Online Reviews
by Yingxun Li and Anhua Zhang
Buildings 2026, 16(2), 305; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16020305 - 11 Jan 2026
Viewed by 579
Abstract
With the acceleration of modernization, historical residences are facing increasingly prominent conflicts between cultural inheritance and contemporary visitor experiences. However, existing research on the revitalization of architectural heritage predominantly focuses on spatial functional replacement and value assessment, with insufficient attention paid to user-perceived [...] Read more.
With the acceleration of modernization, historical residences are facing increasingly prominent conflicts between cultural inheritance and contemporary visitor experiences. However, existing research on the revitalization of architectural heritage predominantly focuses on spatial functional replacement and value assessment, with insufficient attention paid to user-perceived issues and the transformation of architectural features into specific design practices. To address these gaps, this study takes the Ganxi Former Residence as an example and proposes an innovative pathway that integrates online review data, architectural meme theory, eye-tracking experiments, shape grammar, and design application, aiming to explore the contemporary transformation of architectural heritage in a user-demand-oriented manner. Based on 2845 valid online reviews, the study identified an imperfect signage system as the primary existing problem of the Ganxi Former Residence. Subsequently, comprehensive architectural meme maps encompassing architectural form memes, spatial memes, and cognitive memes were constructed based on architectural meme theory; high-visual-attention architectural factors were objectively screened through eye-tracking experiments; and these factors were innovatively evolved using shape grammar and applied to signage board design. Evaluation results indicate that the design proposal yielded positive effects in wayfinding clarity, aesthetic appeal, cultural fit, and overall satisfaction. This study not only accomplishes the cross-media transformation of traditional architecture from its physical form to visual signage boards but also provides a replicable and verifiable methodological paradigm for the creative transformation and innovative development of other architectural cultural heritage sites worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Architectural Design, Urban Science, and Real Estate)
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19 pages, 367 KB  
Review
Unlearning the Colonial Gaze: Grada Kilomba and the Poetics of Disobedience
by Luciana da Costa Dias
Arts 2025, 14(5), 124; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14050124 - 20 Oct 2025
Viewed by 1474
Abstract
Since the mid-twentieth century, a profound reconfiguration of the epistemic ground of ‘art’ itself—aesthetic theory—has taken place. This review examines how modern logic and the inseparability of the modernity/coloniality pair have impacted aesthetic thought, revisiting traditional aesthetics through the concept of a decolonial [...] Read more.
Since the mid-twentieth century, a profound reconfiguration of the epistemic ground of ‘art’ itself—aesthetic theory—has taken place. This review examines how modern logic and the inseparability of the modernity/coloniality pair have impacted aesthetic thought, revisiting traditional aesthetics through the concept of a decolonial aisthesis. Methodologically, it mobilises a bibliographic review of decolonial thought in dialogue with feminist theory and undertakes a case-based analysis of Grada Kilomba’s exhibition Poetic Disobediences (2019). This review also forms part of a larger research project on decolonial aisthesis, feminisms, and performance art, with results disseminated in various contexts. Distinctively, it foregrounds Kilomba’s installation The Dictionary (2019) as a central case study, emphasising how it dismantles the grammar of “healing” through language and performance and exploring its implications through the lens of Latina and Black feminisms. The results highlight the need to critically rethink aesthetics: if aesthetics is a modern and thus colonial construct, it must be unlearned and reimagined from within. The review concludes that poetic and epistemic disobedience emerge as insurgent gestures capable of destabilising coloniality in art, pointing not to the abolition of aesthetics, but to its decolonial reconceptualisation as a theoretical and methodological horizon. Full article
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26 pages, 2644 KB  
Article
Humor as a Structure-Creating Mechanism: A Case of Recent Diachrony in Contemporary Spanish
by Salvador Pons Bordería
Languages 2025, 10(10), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10100263 - 14 Oct 2025
Viewed by 1078
Abstract
Despite the extensive body of research on the social aspects of humor, relatively few studies consider humor as an active element in the formation of linguistic structure (in the structuralist sense). In this regard, the present paper explores the role of humor in [...] Read more.
Despite the extensive body of research on the social aspects of humor, relatively few studies consider humor as an active element in the formation of linguistic structure (in the structuralist sense). In this regard, the present paper explores the role of humor in the diachronic evolution of qué…ni que-insubordinate structures in Contemporary Spanish and outlines a possible integration of humor into an interactive construction grammar (Croft, 2001). Full article
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23 pages, 3533 KB  
Article
A Web Corpus Analysis of the Italian Grazie Di/Per Alternation
by Mark Hoff
Languages 2025, 10(9), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10090241 - 19 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1268
Abstract
The prepositional variation of grazie di/per + complement ‘thanks for X’ is often acknowledged in Italian grammars but has not yet been adequately examined. I appeal to key tenets of Construction Grammar to analyze 3000 tokens of this construction from the Italian Web [...] Read more.
The prepositional variation of grazie di/per + complement ‘thanks for X’ is often acknowledged in Italian grammars but has not yet been adequately examined. I appeal to key tenets of Construction Grammar to analyze 3000 tokens of this construction from the Italian Web 2020 Corpus. To fully probe the conditioning of di/per selection, I pair logistic regression of the entire dataset with a descriptive statistical analysis of various levels of constructional schematicity and frequent individual complements. Results confirm previous descriptions that per is now the majority variant and reveal that significant predictors of preposition selection include complement type (nominal, simple infinitive, compound infinitive), as well as complement complexity and quantity of intervening material (both measured in number of words). However, strong lexico-constructional effects are also observed, such that the older variant di remains strongly preferred in specific micro-constructions (e.g., grazie di tutto ‘thanks for everything’, grazie di esistere ‘thanks for existing’). These findings evince a complex case of variation which requires the joint consideration of both overall patterns and fine-grained constructional distinctions. Full article
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20 pages, 6635 KB  
Article
Research on the Language System of Rural Cultural Landscapes in Jiufanggou, Dawu County, Based on the Concept of Isomorphism
by Rui Li, Yawei Zhang, Chenshuo Wang, Xuanxuan Xu and Wanshi Li
Land 2025, 14(9), 1895; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14091895 - 16 Sep 2025
Viewed by 876
Abstract
[Objective] Currently, there are limitations in the understanding of rural cultural landscape: they are often perceived as material spatial entities, with a lack of exploration of their intangible elements and neglect of the isomorphism between the material and intangible elements of cultural landscapes. [...] Read more.
[Objective] Currently, there are limitations in the understanding of rural cultural landscape: they are often perceived as material spatial entities, with a lack of exploration of their intangible elements and neglect of the isomorphism between the material and intangible elements of cultural landscapes. In the context of rural cultural revitalization, it is necessary to explore the regional protection elements of rural cultural landscapes from the perspective of isomorphism. [Methods/Process] This study employs relevant linguistic theories to extract and construct a framework for a language system with regional characteristics for rural cultural landscapes from an isomorphous perspective. By deconstructing the rural cultural landscape pattern of Jiufangou in Dawu County, it summarizes the relationships and isomorphous nature between the constituent elements of this language system. [Results/Conclusions] The study identifies eight core landscape terms. These lexical units form landscape sentences based on four typical scenarios. The study then analyzed the landscape grammatical structures of different scenarios from four dimensions and explored the deep semantic meanings and contextual rules of Jiufanggou Village’s cultural landscape. Finally, this study utilizes a schematic diagram of the “vocabulary–grammar–sentence” nested structure of the Jiufanggou cultural landscape to visually illustrate the interconnections and patterns of cultural landscape elements in Jiufanggou Village across different contexts. Building on this, the study explores the structural equivalence between the material and immaterial elements of rural cultural landscapes. Overall, the construction of a nested linguistic system for rural cultural landscapes is not only about analyzing spatial forms but more importantly about exploring the underlying logical order and traditional wisdom behind spatial creation, thereby achieving the goals of associative protection, the inheritance of diverse cultures, and the continuation of the vitality of rural cultural landscapes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use, Heritage and Ecosystem Services)
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21 pages, 1112 KB  
Article
Evaluative Grammar and Non-Standard Comparatives: A Cross-Linguistic Analysis of Ukrainian and English
by Oksana Kovtun
Languages 2025, 10(8), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10080191 - 6 Aug 2025
Viewed by 2127
Abstract
This study examines non-standard comparative and superlative adjective forms in Ukrainian and English, emphasizing their evaluative meanings and grammatical deviations. While prescriptive grammar dictates conventional comparison patterns, modern discourse—particularly in advertising, informal communication, and literary texts—exhibits an increasing prevalence of innovative comparative structures. [...] Read more.
This study examines non-standard comparative and superlative adjective forms in Ukrainian and English, emphasizing their evaluative meanings and grammatical deviations. While prescriptive grammar dictates conventional comparison patterns, modern discourse—particularly in advertising, informal communication, and literary texts—exhibits an increasing prevalence of innovative comparative structures. Using a corpus-based approach, this research identifies patterns of positive and negative evaluative meanings, revealing that positive evaluations dominate non-standard comparatives in both languages, particularly in advertising (English: 78.5%, Ukrainian: 80.2%). However, English exhibits a higher tolerance for grammatical flexibility, while Ukrainian maintains a more restricted use, primarily in commercial and expressive discourse. The findings highlight the pragmatic and evaluative functions of such constructions, including hyperbolic emphasis, rhetorical contrast, and branding strategies. These insights contribute to research on comparative grammar, sentiment analysis, and natural language processing, particularly in modeling evaluative structures in computational linguistics. Full article
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30 pages, 941 KB  
Article
Language Contact and Population Contact as Sources of Dialect Similarity
by Jonathan Dunn and Sidney Wong
Languages 2025, 10(8), 188; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10080188 - 31 Jul 2025
Viewed by 2386
Abstract
This paper creates a global similarity network between city-level dialects of English in order to determine whether external factors like the amount of population contact or language contact influence dialect similarity. While previous computational work has focused on external influences that contribute to [...] Read more.
This paper creates a global similarity network between city-level dialects of English in order to determine whether external factors like the amount of population contact or language contact influence dialect similarity. While previous computational work has focused on external influences that contribute to phonological or lexical similarity, this paper focuses on grammatical variation as operationalized in computational construction grammar. Social media data was used to create comparable English corpora from 256 cities across 13 countries. Each sample is represented using the type frequency of various constructions. These frequency representations are then used to calculate pairwise similarities between city-level dialects; a prediction-based evaluation shows that these similarity values are highly accurate. Linguistic similarity is then compared with four external factors: (i) the amount of air travel between cities, a proxy for population contact, (ii) the difference in the linguistic landscapes of each city, a proxy for language contact, (iii) the geographic distance between cities, and (iv) the presence of political boundaries separating cities. The results show that, while all these factors are significant, the best model relies on language contact and geographic distance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dialectal Dynamics)
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24 pages, 3005 KB  
Article
“Not gonna lie, that’s a real bummer”—The Usualization of the Pragmatic Marker not gonna lie
by Nicole Benker
Languages 2025, 10(8), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10080186 - 29 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1440
Abstract
This study is concerned with the formal and functional development of the pragmatic marker not gonna lie. It comprises a detailed investigation into the usage and development of not gonna lie in American English. This study shows that not gonna lie develops [...] Read more.
This study is concerned with the formal and functional development of the pragmatic marker not gonna lie. It comprises a detailed investigation into the usage and development of not gonna lie in American English. This study shows that not gonna lie develops from the clause NP BE not going to lie to NP. From its earliest attestations onward, the marker occurs in contexts carrying face threats, which points towards face-threat mitigation as its main function. This discourse function can only be observed for variants with first-person subjects and you in the prepositional phrase (if present). The later omission of elements through the course of the development indicates an increase in syntactic autonomy. The remaining chunk, not gonna lie, leaves little room for variability and is dominated by its discursive function. The findings are interpreted through the lens of usualization as described in the Entrenchment-and-Conventionalization Model. This dynamic, usage-based and cognitive model of language use and change lends itself to providing a fine-grained description and explanation of the grammaticalization-like processes observed in this case study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Trends in Discourse Marker Research)
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13 pages, 296 KB  
Article
“The Blessing” as Prophetic Declaration and Communal Prayer: A Pentecostal Lyrical Analysis of the Contemporary Congregational Song
by Hiwee Leng Toh
Religions 2025, 16(7), 908; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16070908 - 15 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1404
Abstract
This study investigates the theological function of the contemporary worship song “The Blessing” by addressing the following guiding research question: in what ways does “The Blessing” function as a form of prophetic declaration and communal prayer in contemporary congregational worship? Drawing on frameworks [...] Read more.
This study investigates the theological function of the contemporary worship song “The Blessing” by addressing the following guiding research question: in what ways does “The Blessing” function as a form of prophetic declaration and communal prayer in contemporary congregational worship? Drawing on frameworks from Pentecostal theology, lyrical theology, and performative speech-act theory, this study analyzes how the song’s language, structure, and performance embody Spirit-enabled proclamation and intercession. Engaging Rice’s Evagrian–LAPT grammar, Glenn Packiam’s theology of worship as encounter, and Steven Félix-Jäger’s model of New Testament prophecy, the textual analysis focuses on the song’s present-tense verbs of divine action and its lyrical constructions. Scripturally grounded in Numbers 6:24–26, “The Blessing” operates as a sung benediction that invokes God’s blessing, sanctification, divine favor and protection, covenantal presence, and peace. The repetitive use of “Amen” functions as a communal seal of affirmation, turning passive reception into active, prophetic participation when sung. This study contends that the song exemplifies how contemporary congregational song serves as primary theology—Spirit-inspired, embodied, and sounded—where proclamation and prayer are nurtured in lived worship. Ultimately, “The Blessing” functions as a pneumatological and ecclesial act of sung prophecy and intercession—an instance of primary theologizing that nurtures the worshiping community and mediates a Spirit-empowered encounter with divine hope. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Humanities/Philosophies)
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