The Language of COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories. A Semantic Approach

Seminar paper from the year 2021 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1,0, University of Paderborn (Institut f Anglistik und Amerikanistik), course: Semantics, language: English, abstract: This paper examines the language of COVID-19 conspiracy theories through analysing different sense relations, framings, and word combinations/blendings. The paper unveils linguistic tactics used to spread misinformation and provides crucial insights for combating misinformation and promoting critical thinking. To dissolve and understand the language of conspiracy, it is useful to first look at single units of language that mean something - words, and their semantic relations within the English language and to the world (OALD). Existing research recognises that conspiracy language is distinct and coins new linguistic structures with new senses which can then insert influence on the recipients which does not serve their cognitive well-being. An example of this would be the extensive use of the word truth in conspiracy theories, attached to a narrow belief in the sense of 'the only belief that should be accepted, otherwise, a person will suffer'. If someone is mentally labile and believes that truth only refers to that certain narrow belief, the person is likely to be manipulated.