THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO THE CLASSIFICATION OF TERMS DENOTING DIPLOMATIC AGENTS IN MODERN STANDARD ARABIC

Abstract

The article is devoted to a theoretical examination of approaches to the classification of terms denoting diplomatic agents in Modern Standard Arabic. Diplomatic agents are regarded as persons authorized by the state to represent it in external relations, while the corresponding terminology is treated as a specialized lexical domain serving the sphere of interstate communication and simultaneously realized through the resources of the Arabic language system. The relevance of the study stems from the absence of a single generally accepted classification of this terminology and the need to reconcile intralinguistic classification criteria with the norms of international law and diplomatic protocol. The study consistently characterizes three theoretical approaches: the logical-conceptual approach, according to which terms are organized in accordance with the structure of the concepts they denote; the onomasiological approach, which groups terms according to the common functions performed by diplomatic agents; the lexico-semantic approach, which takes into account relations of hypernymy–hyponymy and antonymy between terms. For each approach, its theoretical foundation, classificatory criterion, and scope of applicability are identified, and relevant Arabic terminological material is provided. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between linguistic classification and the legal typology of diplomatic agents established by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The analysis demonstrates that none of the approaches is self-sufficient and that a comprehensive description of the terminology under study is possible only through their complementary application. Depending on the selected classificatory criterion, the same term may belong to different classes; therefore, a comprehensive characterization of the terminological system requires the integration of conceptual, functional, and lexico-semantic perspectives. It is also established that the status hierarchy of heads of diplomatic missions, determined by legal norms, is reflected in and partially shapes the linguistic classification. The practical significance of the research lies in the possibility of applying its results to the compilation of Arabic-Ukrainian and Ukrainian-Arabic terminological dictionaries, the translation of diplomatic documents, and the teaching of courses in the Arabic language, diplomatic discourse, terminology studies, and intercultural communication. The proposed theoretical approaches may also be used in further linguistic research on Arabic diplomatic terminology and in the training of Arabists, translators, and diplomatic personnel.