Tajik Segment of Social Media: Code-Switching and Graphical Evolution

Diloro Iskandarova

doi:10.21603/vcsn-2026-5-2-207-214

VAK Russia

5.9.8

TAJIK SEGMENT OF SOCIAL MEDIA: CODE-SWITCHING AND GRAPHICAL EVOLUTION Tajik Segment of Social Media: Code-Switching and Graphical Evolution

АА Аа

Published in Virtual Communication and Social Networks · Pages 207–214 · Rubric: Language in Virtual Reality: Functions and Development

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21603/vcsn-2026-5-2-207-214 · EDN: UYWCMR

Received: 20.02.2026 Accepted: 30.03.2026 Published: 10.04.2026

Authors

Diloro Iskandarova

ORCID Scopus SPIN

Diloro Iskandarova

Russian-Tajik (Slavonic) University (Tajikistan, Dushanbe) Tajikistan

ORCID Scopus SPIN

ABSTRACT

As the digital environment transforms the Tajik language, it turns into a new hybrid functional style that diverges from literary standards. The article describes the graphical evolution of digital Tajic, as well as the Russian-Tajik code switching in online comments in social networks. Based on digital ethnography and discourse analysis, the author compares the actual online usage with the norms codified in the Tajik National Corpus. The Tajik net-speak is examined from the perspective of the law of least effort (Zipf’s law). It demonstrates an obvious typological parallel with the digital erratives of Russian online communication known as "Olbanian language" or "Scumbags’ slang". The graphical deviations from standard Tajik include vowel reduction, with readability maintained by the consonantal frame. These violations are systemic, driven primarily by technological factors. Russian borrowings are integrated into the agglutinative matrix of the Tajik language via the mechanisms of morphological adaptation and code-switching strategies. Virtual communication legitimizes dialectal forms, transforming them into a sociolect, which reflects the high vitality of the language in the digital age.

KEYWORDS

Internet discourse, Tajik language, social networks, code-switching, errative, graphical reduction, pun, Russian borrowings

1. Abdurakhmonova M., Khasanova T. G. The image of the capital in the social networks discourse (case study on the comments of Internet-users). XV Lomonosov readings. Cooperation of science and nationally oriented strategies: Digital modernization and innovative development: Proc. Intern. Sci.-Prac. Conf., Dushanbe, 22–23 Apr 2025. Dushanbe: Lomonosov Moscow State University, 2025, 17–22. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/fmvocr

2. Germasheva T. M. The virtual language personality in blog-discourse space. The Bulletin of the Adyghe State University. Series "Pedagogy and Psychology", 2014, (2): 36–40. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/szzsnf

3. Golev N. D. Antinomies of Russian morphology: Communicative vs. cognitive; syntagmatic vs. nominative. SibScript, 2024, 26(1): 94–107. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21603/sibscript-2024-26-1-94-107

4. Golev N. D., Melnikova V. S., Jung D. A. Conceptual and categorical description of the conflict situation (case study of Internet comments on vaccination against coronavirus). Legal Linguistics, 2022, (25): 50–55. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/rwyese

5. Golev N. D., Sushkina M. A. Centripetal trend in comments to news in social networks. Virtual Communication and Social Networks, 2022, 1(4): 185–190. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21603/2782-4799-2022-1-4-185-190

6. Golev N. D., Shpilnaya N. N. Ordinary media communication as a socio-speech sphere: The problem statement and the boundaries of manifestation. Media Linguistics Journal, 2021, 8(1): 23–34. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu22.2021.102

7. Golev N. D., Shpilnaya N. N. Intermediary virtual dialogue in VKontakte social network vs. immediate live dialogue: functions and structure. Virtual Communication and Social Networks, 2024, 3(4): 361–373. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21603/2782-4799-2024-3-4-361-373

8. Dzhuraeva M. R. Stylistic features of the texts of modern Tajik mass media in the aspect of the addressee factor. Bulletin of the Tajik National University. Series of Philological Sciences, 2014, (4-4): 18–21. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/uzabbr

9. Zhuravleva E. A. Lexical creativity on social media and social networking sites. Communication on the Internet: Multiformatedness and multifunctionality: Proc. All-Russian Sci.-Prac. Conf. with Intern. Participation, Arkhangelsk-Ekaterinburg, 29–30 Oct 2020. Arkhangelsk: Konsultatsionnoe informatsionno-reklamnoe agentstvo, 2021, 67–76. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/mbbspa

10. Iskandarova D. M. Vectors of development of Tajik linguistics: Digitalization of scientific research. University bulletin (Russian-Tajik (Slavonic) university), 2025, (2): 166–182. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/yxlurh

11. Iskandarova D. M. The national corpus of the Tajik language as a tool for linguistic research. Kazanskaya nauka, 2021, (1): 94–97. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/qphxln

12. Iskandarova D. M., Kozlova O. L. The image of the Russian in the Tajik language consciousness. Rusin, 2024, (78): 269–286. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/dpqtdz

13. Iskandarova D. M., Ladygina O. V. Russian language in the communicative space of Tajikistan. University bulletin (Russian-Tajik (Slavonic) university), 2017, (3): 184–189. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/zxjblz

14. Kim L. G. Discourse of the Internet comments as a holisctic self-organizing discursive space. Russian language and Literature in a changing world: Proc. Conf., St. Petersburg, 12–16 Sep 2023. St. Petersburg: MAPRYAL, 2024, 2020–2024. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/pjcyaz

15. Kronhauz M. A. Keywords of the epoch. Slovo.ru: Baltiyskiy Aktsent, 2010, (1-2): 69–85. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/paykhx

16. Kronhauz M. A. Teach yourself Olbanian. Moscow: AST, 2013, 416. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/sbvwbv

17. Lutovinova O. V. Linguocultural characteristics of virtual discourse. Volgograd: Peremena, 2009, 477. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/tlhdat

18. Mukhtorov Z. M., Gafurov Z. Semantic and lexical peculiarities of computer slang in Tajik and English languages. Bulletin of the Institute of Languages, 2022, (2): 5–11. (In Taj.) https://elibrary.ru/phxxhg

19. Sharipov T. Computer vocabulary of the Tajik language: Structural and semantic analysis. Cand. Philol. Sci. Diss. Dushanbe, 2003, 166. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/nodurh

20. Iskandarova D., Ladygina O., Shambezoda K., Zolotukhin A., Abdukhamitov V. Problems of linguistic discrimination in the communicative space of Tajikistan: Legal, sociolinguistic and educational aspects. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 2017, 8(3): 168–189. https://elibrary.ru/xxgmnf

This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

JATS XML

This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Creative Commons

GOST

Iskandarova D. M. Tajik Segment of Social Media: Code-Switching and Graphical Evolution // . 2026. pp. 207-214. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21603/vcsn-2026-5-2-207-214. EDN: UYWCMR. (Date of access 19.08.2026).

MLA

Diloro Iskandarova. "Tajik Segment of Social Media: Code-Switching and Graphical Evolution." (2026): 207-214. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21603/vcsn-2026-5-2-207-214. EDN: UYWCMR.

APA

Iskandarova D. M. (2026). Tajik Segment of Social Media: Code-Switching and Graphical Evolution. , 207-214. https://doi.org/10.21603/vcsn-2026-5-2-207-214 EDN: UYWCMR.

Chicago

Diloro Iskandarova. "Tajik Segment of Social Media: Code-Switching and Graphical Evolution." , no. (2026): 207-214. https://doi.org/10.21603/vcsn-2026-5-2-207-214. EDN: UYWCMR.

WIKI

{{cite journal | author = Iskandarova D. M. | title = Tajik Segment of Social Media: Code-Switching and Graphical Evolution | journal = | year = 2026 | pages = 207-214 | doi = 10.21603/vcsn-2026-5-2-207-214 }} EDN: UYWCMR

Copy

Export: BibTeX EndNote RefMan RusMARC

TAJIK SEGMENT OF SOCIAL MEDIA: CODE-SWITCHING AND GRAPHICAL EVOLUTION Tajik Segment of Social Media: Code-Switching and Graphical Evolution

Confirmation