ON THE FUNCTIONS OF PHRASEOLOGISMS CHARACTERISTIC OF PUBLIC DISCOURSE IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Résumé

In this research, we aimed to highlight the most significant functions of phraseologisms in public discourse in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We divided discourse into primary and secondary types, and within these two categories, we attempted to shed light on what is achieved through the use of phraseologisms based on verbal rection. Through the analysis of material collected from various online portals in Republic of Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we concluded that phraseologisms are linguistic units with significant manipulative power. This power manifests through several functions. When it comes to primary discourse, that is, the speech of politicians, phraseologisms serve to achieve emotionality, expressiveness, and vividness. If we talk about secondary discourse, created exclusively by journalists, phraseologisms are most significant in attracting the audience’s attention. They contribute to vividness, conciseness, engagement, and expressiveness. Considering all these characteristics, we viewed phraseologisms as manipulative linguistic constructions, and such constructions are precisely characteristic of the language used by politicians and journalists, as they are well-suited for influencing the public.