CLASSIFICATION AND LINGUISTIC FEATURES OF ECOLOGICAL SPEECH UNITS: AN ECOLINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Ecological speech units encompass a wide array of linguistic elements—lexical items, phrases, metaphors, grammatical constructions, and narrative structures—that encode, reflect, or shape human relationships with the natural world. Rooted in ecolinguistics, particularly Arran Stibbe's framework of "stories we live by," this article systematically classifies these units and examines their linguistic features across multiple analytical levels. The study addresses the pressing need to understand how language perpetuates ecologically destructive ideologies (e.g., unlimited growth, human supremacy) or, alternatively, promotes beneficial ones (e.g., interconnectedness, living in harmony).

Employing a qualitative discourse-analytic approach, the research draws on a diverse corpus including scientific reports (IPCC excerpts), media coverage, policy documents, literary nonfiction (e.g., Rachel Carson, Richard Powers), corporate communications, and activist texts. Units are classified hierarchically: lexical (ecolexemes), phrasal/collocational, metaphorical, grammatical (transitivity, nominalization, voice), and discursive/narrative levels. Linguistic features are analyzed for their ideological implications, using Stibbe's evaluation of stories as destructive, neutral, or beneficial against an ecosophy prioritizing the preservation of living systems.

Results demonstrate that destructive units dominate in economic and industrial discourses (e.g., "natural capital," "ecosystem services," NATURE IS RESOURCE metaphors, agentless passives obscuring responsibility), while beneficial alternatives appear more frequently in literary and activist contexts (e.g., "web of life," NATURE IS COMMUNITY frames). The discussion explores cultural variations, communicative implications, and potential for linguistic reform in environmental education and policy. The article concludes that conscious reclassification and reframing of ecological speech units can contribute to shifting societal stories toward sustainability. This work advances ecolinguistics by providing a practical, multi-layered typology adaptable to cross-linguistic and applied contexts.