Non-Verbal Means of Communication: Semantics of Extralinguistic And Paralinguistic Components of Text
Abstract
This study examines the semantics of extralinguistic and paralinguistic components in non-verbal communication, particularly focusing on their role in legal linguistics and digital discourse. The research aims to analyze how non-verbal elements, specifically emoticons and emojis, function as meaningful signs in legal contexts and digital communication. The study addresses several tasks: investigating the manipulation potential of non-verbal signs in media discourse, analyzing the legal implications of emoji use in digital communication, and examining the challenges of emoji interpretation in forensic linguistics. The methodology employs a comprehensive analysis combining traditional linguistic analysis with modern forensic linguistics techniques. The study utilizes a socio-semiotic approach to analyze court documents, legal proceedings, and forensic linguistic reports where emoji interpretation plays a crucial role. The research also includes cross-platform analysis of emoji verbalization and interpretation across different cultural and linguistic contexts. The results reveal several classes of variations in emoji interpretation, including platform-dependent variations, temporal changes, and cultural differences. The study identifies significant challenges in standardizing emoji interpretation for legal purposes, particularly in cases involving contract formation, evidence verification, and criminal intent. The research also demonstrates how platform-specific differences in emoji display can affect legal interpretation and evidence validity. The study concludes that non-verbal elements in digital communication require specialized approaches in legal linguistics, highlighting the emergence of “emoji forensics” as a distinct field. These findings contribute to the development of more robust methodologies for analyzing non-verbal components in digital communication within legal contexts.
Keywords
Non-verbal communication, legal linguistics, emoji forensicsHow to Cite
References
Ageev, V.N. (2002). Semiotics. Moscow: Publishing House of ‘Whole World’.
Belyaeva, I.V. (2009). The phenomenon of speech manipulation: Linguo-legal aspects. DSc thes. philol. Rostov-on-Don.
Danesi, M. (2021). The law and emojis: Emoji forensics. International Journal for the Semiotics of Law, 34, 1117–1139. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-021-09854-6.
Duskaeva, L.R. (2023). Speech organization of Telegram post metatext. Moscow University Bulletin, 1, 30–65.
Electronic Library. (n.d.). Sign. In Electronic Library of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Retrieved December 29, 2024 from https://iphlib.ru/library/collection/newphilenc/document/HASH016ac76ebd6e297504ddf56a.
Galyashina, Y.I. (2022). Semiotics of emoticons and animated pictures in the aspect of forensic linguistic expertise. Bulletin of the University named after O.Y. Kutafin, 2(90), 41–48.
Girutsky, A.A. (2017). General linguistics. Minsk: Higher School.
Golev, N.D. (2000). Juridization of natural language as a linguistic problem. Legal Linguistics, 2, 8–41.
Govender, S. (2017, October 1). Those smiley face or thumbs up emojis could land you in legal hot water. Times Live. Retrieved from https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2017-10-01-those-smiley-face-or-thumbs-up-emojis-could-land-you-in-legal-hot-water/.
Halliday, M.A.K. (1978). Language as social semiotic: The social interpretation of language and meaning. London: Edward Arnold.
Kara-Murza, S. (2002). Manipulation of consciousness. Moscow: Eksmo-Press.
Karasik, V.I. (2015). Language spiral: Values, signs, motives. Volgograd: Paradigm.
Khasanova, G.Kh. (2023). The role of non-verbal means in linguoculturology. International Journal of Word Art, 6(4).
Kotyurova, M.P. (2009). Interpretation of conflictogenic journalistic text in judicial discourse. In L.R. Duskaeva (Ed.), Ethics of Speech Behavior of Russian Journalist (pp. 105–134). St. Petersburg: Asterion.
Krylov, Y.V. (2017). Semantics of emoji in virtual dialogue. Bulletin of Omsk State Pedagogical University, 2(15), 50–52.
Locke, J. (1836). An essay concerning human understanding. Australia: T.Tegg and Son.
Losev, A.F. (2010). Dialectics of artistic form. Moscow: Academic Project.
Marko, K. (2020). Exploring the distinctiveness of emoji use for digital authorship analysis. Language and Law, 7(1-2), 36–55.
Matulewska, A., & Gwiazdowicz, D.J. (2020). Cyberbullying in Poland: a case study of aggressive messages with emojis targeted at the community of hunters in urbanized society. Social Semiotics, 30(3), 379–395. https://doi.org/10.1080/10350330.2020.1731194.
Mechkovskaya, N.B. (2008). Semiotics. Language. Nature. Culture. Moscow: Academia.
Novikova, M. (2020). Speech manipulation as a problem of language and law. Perspective Directions of Modern Linguistics, 165–172.
Official statistics of the judicial department of the supreme court in the field of combating extremism for 2018. (2019, April 19). Sova-center.ru. Retrieved from https://www.sova-center.ru/racism-xenophobia/news/counteraction/2019/04/d40922/.
Pei, J., & Cheng, L. (2022). Deciphering emoji variation in courts: a social semiotic perspective. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 9, 445. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01453-5.
Pigina, Y.S. (2013). Smiley as an element of emotional impact in organizing internet communication. Philological Sciences, 11(29), 144–146.
Pirogova, Y.K. (2002). Implicit information as a means of communicative impact and manipulation. In Novikov A.I. (Ed.), Problems of Applied Linguistics (pp. 209–227). Moscow: Alphabet Book.
Plotnikova, A.M., Kuznetsov, V.O., Sazhenin, I.I. (2018). Semantic research in forensic linguistic expertise. Moscow: FBU RFCFE under the Ministry of Justice of Russia.
Redkina, T.Y. (2015). Speech explication of the situational model: A linguopraxeological approach. Medialinguistics, 2(8), 104–116.
Romashov, R.A. (2010). Interpretation of law: Linguistic and technical-legal aspects. Legal Linguistics, 10, 52–57.
Rossbach v. Montefiore Medical Center, 78 F.4th 490 (2d Cir. 2023). Retrieved from https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/21-2084/21-2084-2023-08-28.html.
Shelestyuk, Y.V. (2014). Speech impact: Ontology and research methodology (2nd ed.). Moscow: Flinta.
Shostrom, E. (2008). Man, the manipulator: The inner journey from manipulation to actualization (2nd ed.). Moscow: Psychotherapy.
Sonin, A.G. (2016). Emoji: Non-cultural code of virtual communication. In A.G. Sonin (Ed.), Methodology of Modern Linguistics (Vol. 2, pp. 169–192). Moscow: URSS.
Tokarev, G.V. (2013). Introduction to semiotics (2nd ed.). Moscow: Flinta.
Toshovich, B. (2018). Structure of internet stylistics. Moscow: Flinta.
Tretyakova, V.S. (2013). Speech conflictology: Problems, tasks, perspectives. Chelyabinsk State University Bulletin, 1(292), 281.
Van Dijk, T.A. (2006). Discourse and manipulation. Discourse and Society, 17(2), 359–383.
Vinogradova, T.Y. (2004). Specifics of Internet communication. Russian and Comparative Philology: Linguocultural Aspect, 11, 63–67.
Voinov, D.A. (2016). “Emoji” as a technology of political communication on the internet. Century of Quality, 4, 103–112.
Volkov, A.G. (1966). Language as a system of signs. Moscow: Moscow University Publishing House.
Who conducts linguistic expertise of text and in what cases it is necessary. (n.d.). Biz-faq.ru. Retrieved from https://biz-faq.ru/baza%20znanij/ekspertiza/lingvisticheskaya-ekspertiza.html.
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dildor Otajonova

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.