The Issue of Defining Internationalism in the Context of Linguistic Research

The article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of international vocabulary within the context of linguistic research, encompassing both historical aspects and current trends in the development of interlingual contacts. Various definitions of the term internationalism are examined, and different approaches to its interpretation are analyzed. The stages in the development of the concept internationalism are traced, beginning with the works of A. Meillet, who, as early as the beginning of the 20th century outlined the phenomenon of historical layers for shared vocabulary in different languages. The article focuses on the typology of internationalisms presented in the works of E. Wüster and other linguists, as well as on the criteria of internationality proposed by both Ukrainian and foreign scholars. Particular attention is paid to the scientific concept developed by V. Akulenko, who defined the term internationalism. The linguist emphasized the internal unity of the international and national components in language supporting this idea with evidence from at least three unrelated languages. The article also examines the criteria to distinguish international words from national borrowings, as proposed in the monograph by A. Diakov, T. Kyiak and Z. Kudelko, and defines the place of international elements within the broader category of borrowings. T. Kyiak’s views on internationalisms are analyzed, particularly the supranational nature of their usage and the consistency of meaning in at least three unrelated languages. The role of international vocabulary in terminological systems is illustrated through the works of I. Yaroshevych, H. Chornovol and O.Kovalchuk, who study the functioning of internationalisms in professional and scientific discourse. The article also highlights the distinction between internationalisms and ordinary borrowings. The main common features identified in definitions of internationalism include: a shared etymological origin; similarity in form and meaning; and functioning across several unrelated languages.