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Language and Pandemic Communication
As language underlies all human communication, linguistic research has come to the foreground in the times of the pandemic. The chapter first presents a general introduction of linguistic research issues and pandemic communication through the lens of sociolinguistics regarding language and social change. Second, it dwells on lexical studies focusing on new words and terms, i.e., neologisms. It overviews multiple multilingual studies on the language innovations for the virus, diseases, vaccines, health, etc., which either widen or narrow the gap between professionals and non-professionals. Next, the chapter describes metaphor studies which explore the cognitive strategies in relation to a new pandemic. The figurative language facilitates the expression of diversity and often controversy of opinions and beliefs about the pandemic. Finally, the chapter summarizes new features of linguistic investigations of the pandemic which reflect the change of culture and society, highlighting the tensions between the safety and effectiveness of communication or between the individual and the public.
