Pragmatics of Irish and Australian English: implications for legal and intercultural communication

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the study of the pragmatic features of the Irish and Australian varieties of English within legal and intercultural discourse. A corpus-based and linguo-pragmatic analysis of selected Irishisms (Gaeltacht, Taoiseach, Oireachtas) and Australisms (Appeasement, Court of Petty Sessions, Tent Embassy) is applied. Our choice of these specific culturally marked realia could be explained by their active usage in legal contexts (proven by the corpus data) and their direct impact on the processes of diplomatic communication (proven by our qualitative analysis). These lexemes not only contain nationally specific concepts but also perform institutional and pragmatic functions. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the treaty and legal framework of Ukrainian–Irish and Ukrainian–Australian relations, especially after 2014 and 2022, when cooperation in the areas of security, humanitarian aid, and cultural diplomacy acquired a new dimension. Methodologically, the study is based on quantitative analysis of data from the Global Web-Based English (GloWbE) digital corpus combined with qualitative research methods, which includes: discourse analysis, content analysis, and pragmatic interpretation of legal documents and governmental publications. The article identifies three main strategies of translating culturally marked realia: (1) retention of the original, (2) adaptation (phonetic or through transliteration), and (3) descriptive translation. Through linguo-pragmatic analysis of the data, the authors conclude that in translation into Ukrainian it is important to maintain a balance between preserving authenticity and ensuring clarity for recipients. Several cases of unawareness of the cultural context of Ireland and Australia were revealed in the study, which in turn led to misinterpretation. To prevent such situations, the application of descriptive translation is recommended, since comprehensibility and precision are crucial in legal discourse. The practical significance of the study lies in identifying the influence of the aforementioned Irishisms and Australisms from the lexico-semantic field of “Law” on legal communication and translation practice. The results demonstrate a close interrelationship between law and language, and the conclusions reached may prove useful in teaching, translation, and negotiation practice.