Exploring the Semantics and Structure of Vocatives in Ukrainian Folk Songs

Ukrainian folk songs, as repositories of national cultural heritage, contain a significant collection of linguistic features, particularly in the realm of vocatives. Utilizing computational methods, this study examines the semantics and structure of the vocative case in Ukrainian folk songs to explore its role in social communication, shaping interpersonal relationships, conveying emotional nuances, and reinforcing cultural identity within lyrical narratives. Through the analysis of vocative structures in the corpus of folk songs from Podillia region, this research reveals their linguistic functions in folk songs – naming the addressee, expressing emotions, and evaluating various aspects of the addressee’s identity. The study identifies common structural types across semantic groups, showcasing the skilful use of repetition, interjections, and parallelism to enhance emotional intensity and stylistic dimensions.