The Cultural Evolution of Languages: Historical and Comparative Linguistics

This article examines the evolution of modern languages through historical, cultural, and linguistic interactions, using Ukrainian and Polish as primary examples. The study conducts a diachronic analysis of English, Ukrainian, and Polish, comparing the construction of linguistic categories across different levels. Particular attention is given to the impact of language contact on lexical development. It explores how interactions between Polish and Ukrainian speakers have shaped their respective vocabularies and how historical factors influenced these changes. The research reveals that the historical trajectories of English, Polish, and Ukrainian varied significantly. Unlike English and Polish, the Ukrainian language was subjected to centuries of suppression under the Russian Empire, which implemented a policy of linguistic genocide aimed at erasing its identity and legitimacy. In contrast, Polish and English developed without such targeted state repression. The study finds that lexical composition has been most affected, primarily through borrowings. Ukrainianisms and Russisms appear as East Slavic elements within Polish, while Polish has exerted notable influence on Ukrainian and Belarusian. Currently, the rise of English as a global lingua franca has led to an influx of anglicisms into both Polish and Ukrainian. This trend is driven by digitalization, globalization, and access to global information networks, highlighting a contemporary phase in the evolution of these languages marked by English-language dominance and technological influence.