Semantic analysis of emojis in Croatian and English instant messages

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Semantička analiza emojia u porukama na hrvatskom i engleskom
• Author: Lucija Gašparac
• Mentor: Janja Čulig Suknaić (mentor)
• Committee member: Marina Grubišić (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Ivana Bašić (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of English language and literature); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2024-07-12, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology; Anglistics

Abstract

This master's thesis aims to analyze and describe the different usages of emoji found in online communication on social media applications like WhatsApp or Instagram due to the popularity of their usage. Firstly, all the examples in Croatian were placed inside a table and examined, and the same was done for messages in English. Secondly, all the examples were compared and the findings showed relevant similarities, but also differences. While some emojis, like the “airplane” and the “money bag” emoji were found in Croatian messages, they weren't present in English messages, showing that not all speakers use all the available emojis. However, the most used emojis in both languages were the “tears of joy” emoji, the “red heart” emoji and the “thumbs-up” emoji. Finally, it can be concluded that, even though the emojis serve numerous purposes, there are a few that are universal; they help us add an emotional tone to the message, making it more comprehensible simply because online communication is devoid of facial expressions. Emojis also help us avoid the misinterpretation of messages, and sometimes even substitute certain words. Gestural emojis, the most popular being the “thumbs up” make our messages more concise and the communication faster.

Abstract (croatian)

Cilj ovog diplomskog rada je analizirati i opisati različite upotrebe emojija koje nalazimo u online komunikaciji u aplikacijama kao što su WhatsApp ili Instagram zbog popularnosti njihove upotrebe. Najprije su svi primjeri na hrvatskom stavljeni u tablicu i ispitani, a isto je učinjeno i s porukama na engleskom jeziku. Drugo, svi su primjeri uspoređeni i rezultati su pokazali relevantne sličnosti, ali i razlike. Dok su neki emojiji, poput “zrakoplova” i “torbe s novcem” pronađeni u hrvatskim porukama, nisu bili prisutni u porukama na engleskom, što pokazuje da svi govornici ne koriste sve dostupne emojije. Međutim, najčešće korišteni emojiji na oba jezika bili su emoji "suze radosnice", emoji "crveno srce" i emoji "palac gore". Konačno, može se zaključiti da, iako emojiji služe u brojne svrhe, postoji nekoliko univerzalnih; pomažu nam dodati emocionalni ton poruci, čineći je razumljivijom jednostavno zato što je online komunikacija lišena izraza lica. Emojiji nam također pomažu da izbjegnemo pogrešno tumačenje poruka, a ponekad čak i zamjenjuju određene riječi. Emojiji koji prikazuju geste, od kojih je najpopularniji "palac gore", čine naše poruke jasnijima, a komunikaciju bržom.

• Keywords: Emoji; messages; emotions; tone; online communication
• Keywords (croatian): Emoji; poruka; emocije; ton; online komunikacija.
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:110585
• Study programme: Title: English Language and Literature (double major); specializations in: Linguistics, Literature and Culture, Translation; Course: Linguistics; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti (magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-07-17 11:15:22