Semantic Shift of Pop-Culture Antonomasia in Georgian Digital Discourse

Abstract

In the digital age, popular culture franchises have evolved beyond their traditional role as mere entertainment and became significant sources of lexical innovation. These franchises offer a shared culture which serves as a framework for interpreting modern reality. This study investigates the linguistic phenomenon of pop-culture antonomasia, a device and the process by which proper names from cinema, literature, and television are transformed into common nouns in a language, in this case in Georgian. The research employs a Corpus-Assisted Discourse Studies (CADS) approach and uses a triangulated dataset comprising the kaTenTen24 (Georgian Web Corpus), kaWaC, and the Georgian National Corpus (GNC) to ensure both diachronic depth and contemporary digital coverage.

The study draws on the theoretical framework of semantic bleaching (Squires, 2014) to distinguish between source-referential usage (discussing the film) and metaphorical extension (describing real-world events). A rigorous filtration methodology was applied to concordance lines and to reveal that specific media icons have undergone significant de-proprialization. These icons have shed their fictional origins, functioning now as abstract concepts. The findings reveal a discernible dichotomy within the Georgian lexicon, distinguishing between global and local borrowings. The employment of imported Anglophone terms, such as "Terminator" and "Orcs," is predominantly employed to characterize political aggression and physical force. Some of the lexemes in the study function as expressive synonyms for "enemy" or "invader”. Some of them have negative connotations.

In contrast, Georgian cinematic metaphors (e.g., Blue Mountains, Pupala) are utilized for social satire, specifically to critique bureaucratic absurdity and delusional behavior. The study posits that these neologisms should not be considered ephemeral slang; rather, they are to be regarded as condensed ekphrastic narratives that serve to fill critical lexical gaps in political and social discourse. This article posits that a descriptive expansion of Georgian lexicography is necessary to accommodate the de-contextualization of these terms, which have transitioned from fictional entities to functional lexemes.