LINGUISTIC MECHANISMS OF IMPLICIT EVALUATION IN KAZAKH AND ENGLISH MEDIA DISCOURSE

Abstract

The article examines the linguistic mechanisms of implicit evaluation in Kazakh- and English-language media discourse. The aims of the research are to identify the linguistic mechanisms of implicit evaluation and the cultural factors determining their functioning, as well as to assess their role in influencing the recipient and shaping public perception. The research material includes 210 instances of evaluative expressions taken from 60 online news articles (in Kazakh and in English) that were published between 2024 and 2025. In the study the semantic, functional-pragmatic and comparative analyses were applied. The findings have shown that metaphors, phraseological units, euphemisms, irony and word contamination are the primary means of implicit evaluation in both Kazakh and English media discourses. According to analysis metaphors are the most frequent linguistic means to convey evaluative meaning. In Kazakh texts, they are mainly used to express a positive evaluative meaning, whereas in English they more often serve as means of social and political criticism.  Kazakh media discourse demonstrates a stronger reliance on euphemisms and culturally bound idioms rooted in traditional norms of speech etiquette, while English discourse exhibits a higher degree of irony and creative word formation. Word contamination is the least productive strategy in both cases. However, it functions more actively in English media as a satirical attention-grabbing means.  Thus, implicit evaluation reflects not only the author’s cognitive stance but also the cultural value system of society, acting as an indicator of its ideological specificity.