Linguistic Analysis of the Law of Georgia on Foreign Influence Transparency

This study presents a linguistic analysis of Georgia’s Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence utilizing three primary analytical approaches. First, a lexical-semantic analysis of terms assesses the specificity and precision of the terms within the law. Second, corpus-linguistic analysis employs text corpora – extensive electronic text collections – to examine word combinations (collocations) and their connotations. Finally, the discursive analysis explores the law’s argumentative structure and the legislative discourse, considering contemporary and historical contexts. The findings across these analyses reveal the following patterns. The law’s title and text embedded with these terms seem to overlook the nuanced socio-cultural and historical contexts, particularly the legacies of imperial oppression. The research underscores that the law’s conceptual and terminological framework is inherently hostile. The key terms and their modifiers carry negative semantic weight, contributing to a legal language that alienates citizens, stigmatizes foreign-funded civil society and media organizations, and facilitates their marginalization. The key terms in the law have historically and currently negative connotations. These terms evoke associations linked to Georgia’s past experiences of repression and discrimination, resonating with aggressive and humiliating undertones. The analysis highlights the need for a more balanced and contextually sensitive legal language to avoid perpetuating historical prejudices and to support democratic and civil progress.