Linguistic Frontiers

Foreword: The Legacy of Professor Jan Kořenský and Contemporary Horizons of Linguistics

2026-01-15T09:51:19+00:00

Foreword: The Legacy of Professor Jan Kořenský and Contemporary Horizons of Linguistics

Construction and Reconstruction of the Language System

2026-01-15T09:57:57+00:00

This study loosely follows on the brilliant condensed interpretations of Jan Kořenský on the status of speech (in the sense of parole) and its assumptions (in the sense of langue) from the position of subject-object noetics. The author focuses on the question of what real language is. He is concerned with whether langue is only a social reality (exists only in social interactions) or also a cognitive reality (exists in some way in the cognition of the communicators). In his interpretation of langue, it appears as a rational language system, against which he sets a practical language system with the question of what reality these systems represent. He is reluctant to accept the view that langue is somehow present in a practical linguistic system. He takes the position that while a rational language system is only a reality constructed by the mind (a construct), a practical language system is a reality that arose from the gradual coordination of communicative activities of social subjects, which introduced flexible and stable practical rules without having to create a system in the sense of langue, functioning as a presuppositional basis of speech. He illuminates these systems from the point of view of the basic question of the theory of knowledge connected with the understanding of truth, and he points out their practical usefulness. He starts from the thesis that man is a construction-reconstruction being, and aims to support the rehabilitation of correspondence truth.

Artificial Intelligence: Medium or Subject?

2026-01-15T10:50:11+00:00

On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the publication of the article “Theory of new media and the transformation of a medium into a subject?” by Jan Kořenský, one of the most influential Czech linguists, it is important to evaluate his influence and visionary ideas that remain relevant even today. In his 2014 article, Kořenský predicted fundamental changes caused by technological progress, where new communication technologies change their role from mere means to acting entities with profound impacts on society. When he made these predictions, ocial networks such as Facebook and Instagram were examples of technologies affecting interpersonal relationships and the identity of users. Today, a decade later, the debate is shifting to artificial intelligence, raising questions about the future of work and the role of humanity. This article not only reflects Kořensky’s analysis of technological change, but also explores the current concerns and potential impacts of AI on society, science, and ethics. Kořenský’s theories remain an inspiration not only for linguists, but also for the general public dealing with the influence of technology on our reality.

Scientific Metaphor and its Noetic Ambivalence

2026-01-15T11:02:59+00:00

In this paper we revisit the inspiration of J. Kořenský’s work on the problem of metaphor in scientific reflection on language. For us, the notion of noetic instrumentalisation of metaphor is the main concept by which the author captures that metaphor is an essential tool for interpreting, representing and modelling the processes of linguistic activity. We find Kořenský’s analysis of the noetic instrumentalisation of game inspiring, pointing out that the same metaphorical concept allows, on the one hand, for unifying interpretations of language, but also for interpretations that are in an ambivalent or even polemical relationship. In our study, we analyse the noetic ambivalence of the metaphor of fabric, which functions as a means of interpreting language/speech in two conflicting methodological lines: on the one hand, in a structural linguistic methodological framework, where it harmonises with the instrumentalist approach to language; on the other hand, in a social interactionist framework, where the conceptualisation of speech activity as fabric is used to explain the socially practical linguistic reality of language. The aim of the analysis is to answer the question of what lies behind the noetic ambivalence of this metaphor. To explain this, we draw on J. Dolník’s (2014) reflections on the role of autonomisation in interpreting, and distinguish between the resultative and emergent nature of the metaphorical base in scientific interpretation using metaphor.

A Tribute to Jan Kořenský

2026-01-15T11:47:58+00:00

The article „A Tribute to Jan Kořenský“ by Oldřich Uličný nostalgically reflects on the academic and personal life of Jan Kořenský, a significant Czech linguist, and their studies at the then Pedagogical University in Olomouc. The author recalls his first meeting with Kořenský in 1955, their studies, and cultural activities, as well as notable professors and the scientific growth at the Institute of the Czech Language in Prague. The article also documents their shared period during a turbulent time in Czech history, including normalization and political pressures that influenced their lives. Uličný highlights Kořenský‘s contributions to Czech linguistics, especially in semantics, pragmatics, and communication theory of language, concluding that his legacy and influence are evident in the work and enthusiasm of many generations of students. This remembrance draws from personal experiences and reveals the impact that their shared historical and academic journey may have had on the Czech linguistic community.

Jan Kořenský as a Proponent of Linguistic Pragmatics in Czechoslovak Linguistics

2026-01-18T14:08:58+00:00

In the work of Jan Kořenský, pragmatic topics were mentioned as early as in 1970s, first without being termed explicitly. In the most extensive and elaborated version, Kořenský presented his concept of relations among semantics, grammar and pragmatics in the 1984 book Konstrukce gramatiky ze sémantické báze (Construing grammar on the basis of semantics). In the book, a pragmatic component (pragmatic dimension) is included in the model of grammar as a factor pertaining to the functional properties of lexical and grammatical variables. Also, Kořenský introduced an original approach towards pragmatic interpretation of utterances (semantics of “being said“) which can be considered an inspiration for the concept of logophoricity in discourse (a phenomenon broader than the traditional notion of “reported speech“).

Dynamical Systems in the Work of Jan Kořenský

2026-01-18T14:13:33+00:00

In the linguistic work of Jan Kořenský we find methodological inspiration from the theory of dynamical systems. The aim of this paper is to trace this inspiration in Kořenskýʼs key texts and to relate this conceptual borrowing to the time-specific (in the Czech environment, especially in the 1990s) interdisciplinary links between the humanities and the natural sciences. The text recalls Kořenskýʼs hypothesis about the relationship between order and chaos and the transformation of this central conceptual pair in the course of the development of the sciences at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. (přeloženo pomocí DeepL)

The Library of Professor Kořenský as a Memorial and Source of Inspiration for Future Generations of Linguists

2026-01-18T14:18:07+00:00

Professor Kořenský was a prominent personality of Czech linguistics, whose extensive research work covered many areas, including grammar, semantics, discourse analysis, communication process, morphology and others. His work significantly influenced the development of linguistics as a discipline in the Czech Republic. The Library of Professor Kořenský, dedicated to his legacy, is an expression of respect to his personality and scientific work, but it is also a source of inspiration and knowledge for future generations of linguists. It consists of two complementary parts: a physical library and an online library. The physical library is located at the Department of General Linguistics of Palacký University in Olomouc and is open to the public. It provides access to the collection of publications by Professor Kořenský and other related publications. The online library contains a catalogue of publications available in the physical library, contact information, a selection of Professor Kořenský‘s articles and other information and links to resources about his life and scientific contributions. The library was founded in 2023 through the collective efforts of students and academics, with the fundamental mission to preserve Professor Kořenský‘s work and make it accessible to current and future generations of linguists. It is a valuable resource for students, academics and anyone interested in linguistics. The library provides access to a comprehensive collection of materials documenting Professor Kořenský‘s scholarly work.