Thanks to the support of the ENEOLI COST Action, Alicja Kacprzak presented a paper entitled “La néologie récente autour du mot pies (‘chien’) en polonais non standard” at the 17th International Conference on Argotology, held at the University of Alicante (Spain).

The presentation focused on neologisms derived from the lexical base pies (‘dog’) in contemporary Polish. In line with the emblematic role of the dog in culture, the word has long appeared in a wide range of expressions and proverbs. However, as the study demonstrates, since 2000, a number of new lexical units (approximately 40) have emerged in Polish, motivated by the symbolism associated with this animal.

The presentation examined the diverse structures of these new lexical units and focused on an analysis of their semantic and pragmatic value. The study showed that, although in many cases their meaning resembles the pejorative connotations traditionally associated with the image of the dog in language, a new tendency towards more positive connotations is also clearly discernible. This shift is presumably related to the changing perception of the dog’s role in contemporary society.

The presentation prompted fruitful discussions among conference participants and opened up interesting prospects for future collaboration.