The Study of Methods and Means of Intensity in Alarmist Discourses

Problem statement. A wide front of research devoted to the study of the question of intensity on the material of various languages has long gone only beyond the descriptive approach. This is due to the interest in the process of the emergence of intensifying meaning and expression, which reflect the subjective and emotional attitude of the speaker to the world, as well as the knowledge and experience of the people. In the science of language, it is customary to understand intensification as an indicator of "how much the expressive rises above the subject-logical content of the utterance" ^{[16, p. 15]}. Indeed, the expressive function of language is most naturally realized when the authors perform creative or communicative tasks; hence, there is a need to strengthen the description of facts, which does not correspond to their objective assessment. The fund of expressive means of language allows us to judge both broad and local intentions of the authors.

Before turning to the existing developments in the field of intensity research, we will provide information about the phenomenon of alarmism. There is no well-established definition of the concept of "alarmist discourse" in the scientific literature, but multiplication of terms is not included in our tasks, therefore, summarizing information from related disciplines ^{[1; 8]}, we note that, as a rule, when mentioning phenomena related to alarmism, we are talking about texts that cause a state of anxiety and panic in relation to some events and realities of society. The conceptual field of alarmist discourse includes such areas as ecology, pandemic, digitalization, propaganda, and globalization. The practice of discussing these topics in an alarming mode is taking an increasingly prominent place in the construction of socio-cultural space. Some scientists have already explained this circumstance by speaking about the communicative crisis of our days and pointing out the tendency of the audience to return to the information source that satisfied their curiosity, regardless of the quality of the news ^{[9, p. 641]}.

Alarmist texts attract considerable public attention and, in addition, have an impact on the communicative behavior of followers. In our opinion, these texts are an object available for linguistic analysis. We will use the model of describing discursive innovations proposed by O. S. Issers ^{[5, p. 39]}. In this article, we will analyze only one of the aspects of this model – these are language markers. This aspect will help to clarify the tone of the described discourse. Attention to the linguistic mechanisms involved in the promotion and escalation of overt or covert panic has both theoretical and practical significance. The material of different languages makes it possible to analyze how vocabulary, neology, phraseology react to the same events, to identify the universal and specific.

Therefore, the purpose of our study is to describe the linguistic means and techniques of actualization of panic states in alarmist discourse from the point of view of intensification. The research material was a sample from sources of various kinds – newspaper and magazine publications, scripts of speeches by eco-activists, politicians, participants in briefings on climate situations, coronavirus, and other social agendas. Citizens' comments taken from social networks were also analyzed.

Linguistic ways of expressing intensity. The category of intensity has long been the subject of scientific understanding. The data from the semantic direction are indicative.According to I. I. Turansky, expressiveness in speech is expressed by intensification. The latter includes expressiveness and figurativeness of the speaker in order to have an enhanced impact on the interlocutor. We can also talk about the unity of the formal aspect of these two categories, and about the unity of the subjective choice of the means of speech intensification, namely, emotionality and evaluativeness. According to the scientist, expressiveness and intensity unite the inherent relations, since, speaking about expressiveness, we denote its quantitative characteristics, i.e. intensity ^[16].

From the point of view of cognitive linguistics, scientists associate the concept of intensification with a quantitative characteristic that includes the illocutionary power of the utterance and the degree of intentionality expressed by the author of the utterance ^{[10; 17]}. Another understanding of intensification within the framework of cognitology correlates with conceptual semantics, where intensity is understood as a mechanism that brings cognitive processes, experience, cultural parameters of society, its linguistic and speech competence into interaction. This is the intention to make a visual picture of the world – to create its linguistic picture by verbalizing figurative associations and analogies of linguistic units.

It is established that there are various linguistic means for expressing the degree of intensity: phonetic, morphological, lexical and syntactic ^{[3; 7; 14; 15]}. We will join the opinion of those researchers who propose to study the category of intensity in terms of "system and speech intensifiers" ^{[12; 4; 6; 11]}. In accordance with this, we will present several groups of intensifiers.

The most studied is the group of language intensifiers. Phonemic, word-formation, lexical, syntactic and structural levels belong to this group. For example, lexemes implying this intensity of shock, hypocrisy, ghastly; components-amplifiers very, strongly, completely, very much, deeply, which enhance both positive and negative connotations; intensifiers as part of phraseological units: mad as a hornet– mad as six hornets; a bear stepped on the ear – a mammoth on the ear has come).

Scientists also distinguish groups of speech (metaphors, contrasts, parallelism, specific descriptions), communicative (the use of certain speech acts, recipient nominations), stylistic (oxymorons, antithesis, tautology, alliteration) intensifiers.

There is a corpus of linguistic means that represent intensity indirectly, for example, polyfunctional units such, so, such, so, that.

A significant result of the study of the analyzed units should be considered a conclusion about the semantic properties of measure and degree. Such studies are based on the ideas of Sh . Bally, who noted that "the term intensity should be understood as all differences that come down to categories of quantity, magnitude, value, strength, etc., regardless of whether we are talking about concrete ideas or abstract ideas" ^{[2, p. 202]}. It is proved that the intensifiers in phraseological units have a graduated structure ^[16], as well as, according to the reasoned opinion of J. Jing-Schmidt ^[18], the intensification is more pronounced in a negative assessment. We believe that the arguments about the correlation of intensity with negative evaluation should be taken into account more broadly. Obviously, there are discourses that are more sensitive to the expression of negative meanings. The tendency of the authors to increase the expressiveness of the utterance through phraseological units, intensifying the meaning, is quite understandable. However, there is another aspect of this problem, when the authors intentionally introduce intensifying statements. We assume that the topics exploited by alarmist discourses are fertile ground for the manifestation of negative meanings and the creation of panic. In this case, the intensifier can be used as a tool that will allow you to describe language tools and techniques for actualizing panic states. This is the way, for example, a team of authors offering methods for studying indicators of conflict in the Russian media discourse ^[13]. Then the intensifier has a great potential for informational impact, and an artificially constructed form can become a trigger for social escalation of alarmism.

Methods of intensification of phraseological units when illuminating objects of alarmism. Taking into account the results of the study of methods and means of intensity, let us turn to the examples of alarmist discourse.

The conceptual field of alarmist discourse includes ecology, pandemic, digitalization, propaganda, globalization. Phraseological means of expressing the category of intensity are aimed at creating emotional tension, they represent such thematic blocks as FEAR, PANIC, STRESS, ANXIETY.

Frequency units with intensifiers-quantifiers: complete decarbonization; multi-layered crises; a great number of infected people; overwhelmed by the number of people needing intensive care; carehome fatalities had quadrupled. Indicative means of intensity of phraseological units that are not the norm:

biological shock of the century; vaccination genocide; anthropogenic methane emissions; Climate is a risk multiplier that makes worse already existing challenges; grim jump in deaths; emissions at a record high, with no signs of slowing down.The negative and pejorative semantics of the examples under consideration are noteworthy: conspiracy of physicians; antichrist chipping; judgment day; uninhabited Earth; malicious forces; malign online activities; disruptive messaging; the dark side of technology; ecological violence; ecological breakdown; ecological fallacy issues.

Of interest are the intensifier components in the form of idioms.

There are universal idioms in the discussion of alarmist agendas, for example:

Pollution is actually a hot potato in Vietnam nowadays with many problems like air pollution, water degradation, or deforestation (Pollution is actually an unpleasant topic in Vietnam at the moment with many problems such as air pollution, water degradation or deforestation).

Adding fuel to the fire in the hearts of those anxious of loneliness (To worsen the situation in the hearts of those who are afraid of loneliness).It should also be noted the appearance of "thematic" idioms-phraseological units, for example, climate diagnosis, risk landscape (from the word landscape), news from covid fronts.

Here are examples of such idiomatic expressions in English.

An attempt has been made to understand the preferences of the youth by conducting a survey of 200 students in terms of the most trending glocalized fast food in comparison to the most famous local fast food. In the example, there is a neologism glocalized as part of the fast food unit, which already has the meaning of low-quality food. Thus, an intensifying effect is created, emphasizing the negative significance of globalization.

Irrefutable evidence on the effects of greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels has set alarm bells ringing and citizens are finally pushing world leaders to address the climate emergency. In the example, the idiom to sound the alarm reinforces the meaning of the expression irrefutable evidence in the coverage of the climate situation, introducing the semantics of dynamics and the need for immediate action. This semantics is typical for environmental topics.

Here is another example that emphasizes the value of time passing in the form of a metaphor: The sands of time are running out – we need to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions within the next 10 years to prevent the worst effects of climate change (Time is running out – we need to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions over the next 10 years years to prevent the worst effects of climate change).Idiomatic elements are also present in the thematic field of the pandemic, for example, conveying the degree of damage and the cost of treatment: $10,000 Hospital Bill Adds Insult to Injury for COVID-19 Patient (A hospital bill of $ 10,000 further harmed a patient with COVID-19), as well as related to the topic of hopelessness of the antipologica: And WHO and now there; the promised vaccine has been waiting for three years.

A large group of examples are cases of lexico-rhetorical intensification, for example, in the form of a gradation figure: The lack of a clear message has left many members of the public concerned, anxious, impatient and too terrified. Parallel constructions are involved: Higher education and artificial intelligence: euphoria and alarmism. An effective technique is the antithesis, implemented, for example, at the level of syntactic construction: ... the climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win; or phrases in the headlines: Digital Vs Human: How We'll Live, Love and Think in the Future. An example of an oxymoron: ...this is an opportunity for "green whitewashing, lies and fraud."So, the idea of future cataclysms requires the search for new forms of linguistic expression.

The selection of texts compiled by us contains examples at all levels of the language system, they express a negative sign of the events described. It can be argued that the category of intensity should be separated into a separate category when describing alarmist-type discourses.

Discussion of the results. It can be concluded that intensity is the semantic category that is characterized by the totality of illocutionary force and the degree of intentionality of the persons participating in the discourse. The condition for the formation of intensifiers is the interrelation of such basic functions of the language as: nominative, communicative and pragmatic. The choice of the method of intensification of phraseological meaning is always subjective, depends on the intention of the individual and is determined by her attitude to the described fragment of reality.

The topics of alarmist discourse include vital social and natural issues. The most noticeable triggers-events are the epidemiological situation (pandemic, vaccination, "chipping"), climate change (extreme heat, typhoons, floods, greenhouse emissions), threats of digitalization. Therefore, the intention of the authors to use intensification techniques is quite understandable. However, the boundaries of rationality of alarmist discourse are organized within the genre of the scientific sphere, that is, the area where the factual basis of the transmitted information with clear logical connections is necessary. Many experts, interpreting alarmist actions, talk about the need to separate science from fiction ^[20], and also that alarmist reactions often turn out to be unreasonable and even dangerous, representing unjustified massive extrapolations ^[19].

The alarmist-type discourse also translates new evaluative and ethical meanings that appear during the intensification of linguistic meaning. The data presented in the article allow us to analyze the mechanism of functioning of this communicative practice from the point of view of its rationality and irrationality. The intensifying value has a significant perlocative potential, forming and strengthening the modality of anxiety and panic in alarmist discourse.

Conclusion. This article is devoted to the analysis of phraseological intensity as one of the most expressive means of linguistic utterance.

Intensifiers in alarmist discourses are the means of all levels of the language system. In the description of the alarmist discourse, we consider it necessary to include the intensification of the negative meaning, since there are other modalities for describing the same facts.