USING CORPUS METHODS TO STUDY CHANGES IN THE VOCABULARY OF THE MODERN RUSSIAN LANGUAGE

Abstract

This article examines the role of corpus methods in studying changes in the vocabulary of the modern Russian language. In contemporary linguistics, vocabulary is viewed as the most dynamic layer of language, as it immediately reflects social, political, cultural, scientific, and technological transformations. The rapid development of digital communication, globalization, media discourse, and professional terminology has significantly influenced lexical processes in Russian, leading to the emergence of neologisms, semantic shifts, borrowing, changes in word frequency, and the transformation of stylistic functions of lexical units.

The study emphasizes that corpus linguistics provides powerful tools for identifying and analyzing lexical change on the basis of authentic language material. Unlike traditional lexicographic or purely descriptive approaches, corpus methods make it possible to observe language in actual use, compare lexical behavior across time periods, track the productivity of specific words and word-formation models, and detect contextual meanings in various discourse types. The use of corpora allows researchers to move from isolated examples to systematic empirical observation, which increases the objectivity and reliability of linguistic conclusions.