The linguistic lexicon in circulation during the Corona crisis - a lexical semantic study in the light of the letters of the Saudi Ministry of Health

Abstract

new words and meaningful structures. This is achieved by specific intellectual, civilizational, and social requirements. Language is a pool of thoughts which formulate our thinking form of language. We spontaneously develop language with the development of reality and events around us by borrowing, expanding, restricting, degradation, deletion, addition, and other aspects of development.

The development occurs at various language levels, such as vocal, morphological, syntactic, lexical and semantic New words often arise that meet the need at  crises  time and are subject to the criteria of derivation and composition required by the language.

The urgent need during crises is evident to  use linguistic research, which follows organized curricula that activates optimal use methods for new and updated terms.

The corona crisis (COVID-19) put pressure on the linguistic resources of individuals and society alike, which called for the study of the mechanisms of development that the language used in response to the repercussions of this pandemic. This pandemic has taken over the language, as well as, the mental and physical health of most societies. The call for the study was due to the importance of the linguistic dimensions in guiding the course of the pandemic, negatively or positively. The correct understanding of the repercussions of the pandemic and everything related to it achieves the goals aimed to prevent it, and serves plans drawn to fight it.

The research relied on the speeches of the Saudi Ministry of Health in collecting its linguistic material and studying the manifestations of the semantic development that has occurred, while highlighting the role of figurative language in supplying the lexicon of the pandemic with words with a new semantic character.