Modern phraseology of the English language: the world of fantasies, dreams and hallucination

Belozerova Ekaterina Yurievna ORCID: 0000-0001-5430-274X PhD in Philology Associate Professor, Department of foreign languages and intercultural communication, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation 125167, Russia, Moscow, 49/2 Leningradsky Ave., office 319 ebelozerova@hotmail.com Other publications by this author

Ginzburg Ol'ga Vladimirovna ORCID: 0000-0001-7737-0032 PhD in Philology Associate Professor, Department of foreign languages and intercultural communication, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation 49/2 Leningradsky Ave., Moscow, 125167, Russia​ ovginzburg@fa.ru

Introduction

The word hallucinate (= hallucination) became the word of 2023 according to the Cambridge Dictionary. The verb hallucinate (=to hallucinate, to see hallucinations), often used in the field of psychology, received additional meaning in 2023 as a result of the popularization and increasing public interest in the topic of artificial intelligence. If we turn to the original meaning of the word hallucinate, the Cambridge Dictionary gives the following definition: to seem to see, hear, feel, or smell something that does not exist, usually because of a health condition or because you have taken a drug ^[1] (= hallucinate, see things that do not exist from-due to illness or as a result of the use of unauthorized substances). Currently, the dictionary also gives a second definition, which was added by Cambridge lexicographers: when an artificial intelligence (= a computer system that has some of the qualities that the human brain has, such as the ability to produce language in a way that seems human) hallucinates, it produces false information ^[1] (= artificial intelligence produces incorrect information).

Thus, the verb hallucinate (= to see hallucinations) becomes ambiguous, which undoubtedly serves to enrich the vocabulary of the English language as a whole.

The latest version of the chatbot is greatly improved but it will still hallucinate facts ^[1]. (= the latest version of the chatbot has been significantly improved, but it will still make up facts). In this example, the error generated by the program is considered a "fiction".

AI chatbots can 'hallucinate' and make things up—why it happens and how to spot it ^[2] (= chatbots with artificial intelligence can "hallucinate" and invent different things - why it happens and how to detect it). The title of the article directly includes the verb hallucinate (= to hallucinate), while additionally using the expression make things up (= to invent things) to achieve understanding among readers. Thus, the meaning of the verb hallucinate is defined as "to invent".

However, the phrase make things up from the above example is a derivative of the phraseology make up ^[3].

The phraseology make up means "to create and invent something using your imagination, to invent" (= to create something based on one's imagination. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "make" and "up").

A:"How did you come up with that character? Is he based on someone you know?"B: "No, I just made him up. (= A:"How did you come up with this character? Is it based on someone you know?" B: "No, I just made it up). The phraseology make up ^[4] (= to invent) is used to denote the result as a result of a creative approach to solving the issue.

The chef is known for making up dishes using unusual flavor profiles (= The chef is known for preparing dishes with unusual taste characteristics) ^[4]. The phraseology make up is used to denote the talent and degree of qualification of a cook in his field of activity.

The phraseology make something up as you go along has the following meaning: "to invent, to come up with something spontaneously" (= to invent a story or a tune without thinking before about how it will end) ^[1].

None of us really knew how to play the game, so we just made it up as we went along ^[5] (= None of us really knew how to play this game, so we just came up with it along the way). The phraseology make something up as you go along expresses the manifestation of some ingenuity during the game, the invention of their own rules of the game.

You can't just make up data as you go, you have to provide real evidence to support your hypothesis! ^[5] (= You can't just come up with data as you go along, you have to provide real evidence to support your hypothesis!) The phraseology make something up as you go along in this example shows an attempt to rig the result, pursuing their own interests. If we consider falsification of results as an attempt to provide incorrect and inaccurate information (incorrect data), then this phraseology in the example under consideration can be correlated with the newly acquired meaning of the verb hallucinate in the context of artificial intelligence (= artificial intelligence provides incorrect information) ^[1].

Thus, the newly acquired (secondary) meaning of the verb hallucinate in 2023 (= artificial intelligence gives out incorrect information) ^[1] partially coincides with the meanings of the phraseological units make up and make something up as you go along. The only difference is in the person-performer: human and artificial intelligence. The original meaning of the verb hallucinate is hallucinations that appear as a result of illness or the use of substances that cause visions ^[1].

The Cambridge Dictionary gives the following series of phraseological units that can partially correlate in meaning with the original meaning of the verb hallucinate, since they reflect to one degree or another the state of unconsciousness.

The phraseology in a dream (= as in a dream) conveys the meaning of unconsciousness of what is happening around, because other thoughts fill the mind (= not conscious of what is happening around you because other thoughts are filling your mind) ^[1].

I didn't hear what you were saying - I was in a dream ^[1] (=I didn't hear what you said. I was dreaming). So, the phraseology in a dream means "in dreams, fantasies, outside reality", but without narcotic effects.

The phraseology be miles away also speaks about the unconscious, even unconscious state of the speaker, in which it is difficult to understand and evaluate what is happening around you (= to not be conscious of what is happening around you because you are thinking about something else) ^[1].

You could tell by the expression on her face that she was miles away, thinking about home ^[1]  (= You could tell by the look on her face that she was far away from here and thinking about home). The phraseology be miles away conveys detachment from reality as a result of immersion in one's thoughts, dreams and fantasies.

Let's consider three phraseological units that are marked informal in the dictionary (= colloquial, informal vocabulary):

The phraseology be hearing/imagining/seeing things in Russian means to think that something is happening, although it is not happening (informal = to think you are experiencing something that is not really happening) ^[1].

 I'm sure I saw my glasses on this table, but they're not here now. I must have been seeing things ^[1] (= I'm sure I saw my glasses on this table, but they're not here right now. I must be having glitches). The phraseology of be seeing things translates as "seeing hallucinations".

The phraseology out of it means a state of misunderstanding about the location as a result of alcohol or drug use. Phraseology refers to informal vocabulary and is used in oral speech (informal = not conscious of where you are or what condition you are in as a result of taking alcohol or drugs) ^[1].

She was lying on the sofa, totally out of it ^[1] (= She was lying on the sofa, completely out of her mind). The phraseology out of it denotes a state under alcoholic or narcotic influence, isolation from the real world.

And the last phraseology, which refers to informal vocabulary according to the Cambridge Dictionary, get the wrong end of the stick means to misunderstand or interpret the situation ^[1]. This phraseology can be correlated with fiction or fantasy, but with a negative connotation (= to not understand a situation correctly) ^[1].

Her friend saw us arrive at the party together and got the wrong end of the stick ^[1] (= Her friend saw us coming to the party together and misunderstood us).

The following two phraseological units determine the course of events that was not planned and can be considered an error.

The phraseology castles in the air can be translated literally into Russian as "castles in the air", and is used to characterize or predict that what is planned will not happen or will not happen with high probability (= plans that have very little chance of happening) ^[1]. He keeps talking about how he'll move to Los Angeles to be a famous actor, but it's just castles in the air if you ask me ^[5] (= He keeps talking about moving to Los Angeles to become a famous actor, but if you ask me, it's just castles in the air). The phraseology of castles in the air conveys doubts about the possibility of realizing plans and desires.   The phraseology pie in the sky ^[1] (= something that you hope will happen but is very unlikely to happen) is similar in meaning to the phraseology castles in the air, these phraseological units are synonymous. The unreality and unreality of fulfilling a wish or plan is expressed in the similarity of the component: in the air – in the sky. In Russian, the meanings of phraseological units can be translated as "soaring in the clouds, dreaming, fantasizing." Their plans to set up their own business are just pie in the sky ^[1] (= Their plans to set up their own business are just fantasies). Fantasies in this case can take the form of visualization or representation of what does not exist in reality, while remaining conscious and not losing touch with reality. And the last phraseology, which in meaning correlates with fantasy, a dream that has nothing to do with reality and thus be something impracticable: flight of fancy literally "flight of fantasy" ^[1] (= an idea that shows a lot of imagination but is not practical).   He was talking about cycling across the US or was that just another flight of fancy? ^[1] (= Was he talking about cycling across the USA, or was it just another flight of fancy?). This phraseology means "a flight of fancy or a difficult dream to achieve."  

Conclusion

In this article, phraseological units have been considered, the meanings of which denote hope, fantasy, fiction, impracticable, unreal. However, only one of the considered phraseological units directly correlates with the original meaning of the word hallucinate - out of it. This phraseology is used in colloquial speech and can be used to express a state of detachment from life as a result of alcohol and narcotic substances. The rest of the phraseological units considered (make up, make something up as you go along, in a dream, be miles away, be hearing/imagining/seeing things, get the wrong end of the stick, castles in the air, pie in the sky, flight of fancy) reflect the process of diving into the fantasy world, dreams and daydreams, however, without loss of consciousness and separation from reality.