Vol. 55 (2026)

Linguistics

Cognitive Models of the Concept of “Normality”

Published:

2026-07-06

https://doi.org/10.31034/055.2026.01

Author

Nava Vanda Sahverdova

Institute of Slavic Studies, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary

Keywords

normality concept cognitive models public discourse conceptual metaphor cognitive linguistics discourse analysis

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Copyright (c) 2026 Slavica

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This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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Sahverdova, N. V. (2026). Cognitive Models of the Concept of “Normality”. Slavica, 55. https://doi.org/10.31034/055.2026.01

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Abstract

This study examines the concept of “normality” in contemporary Russian public discourse of recent decades in the context of uncertainty in normative frameworks. In contrast to the previously analysed construction “new normality,” which exhibits a marked and metalinguistic function, “normality” functions primarily as a background cognitive-discursive category, serving as a tool for evaluation and categorization. The data for the study is drawn from the RuTenTen corpus. The methodological framework is based on cognitive-discursive analysis aimed at identifying typical patterns of usage and reconstructing the conceptual structure. The analysis reveals the main cognitive models of the concept of “normality,” including spatial, scalar, processual, and institutional metaphors, as well as models of masking, simulation, and axiological inversion.

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