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THE SPORTS OF EXPRESSION
No full textIn this study, we have gathered as much data as possible about the emergence and development of expressive sports. These sports share common characteristics but also many differences, which are highlighted in the study. The development of these sports is constantly influenced by human imagination and creativity, as well as the human desire for perfection and beauty. Sometimes, we tend to believe that we have reached our maximum potential, but each time this is surpassed through creativity and flawless technique.There is an increasingly pronounced dynamic of change from one competition to another, from one Olympic cycle to another. Regulations need to be changed, elements updated, and choreographic components modified. Today, technology helps us progress faster and achieve bodily techniques that, years ago, we couldn\u27t have imagined. Progress, change, reevaluation for sports that have long struggled to combat subjectivism. Yet, this is the way art tells us that it is present, no matter how objective we strive to be. A virtuous performance can matter more than we might believe. In conclusion, expressive sports belong to that category where art and sport are in symbiosis, and the spectator can only let himself be carried away by the emotions of the moment
THE USAGE OF DEFINITE AND INDEFINITE ARTICLES IN ENGLISH AND ROMANIAN
No full textAlthough the roles of the definite and indefinite articles in English and Romanian are broadly similar, when examined in detail, their usage in these two languages differs in ways that can be puzzling to the non-native speaker. This paper examines the differences between the uses and non-uses of the definite and indefinite articles in English and Romanian with the purpose of comparing how each language maps determinacy and definiteness to meaning. While some differences are syntax-driven, the focus of the paper is on semantic differences. Since the use of articles (and determiners in general) is subject to various restrictions in the case of uncountable nouns, this paper examines several semantic classes of nouns: countable concrete nouns, mass nouns, and post-verbal and post-adjectival abstract nouns.The most obvious differences in the use of articles in English and Romanian arise when it comes to reference to kind (Carlson 1980 [1977]), which is achieved in English by using bare nouns and in Romanian by using nouns with definite articles. A more subtle difference is driven by the association in Romanian between bare nouns and situations where nouns have predicative readings. Based on these findings, the paper concludes that the fundamental typological difference between English and Romanian insofar as the usage of articles is concerned lies in how each language exploits the contrast between determined and undetermined (bare) nouns to convey meaning: English uses this contrast to distinguish between reference to entities and reference to kind, while Romanian uses it to mark the predicative (rather than referential) use of nouns.
VOCATIVES ON THE CLAUSAL SPINE: THE STATE OF THE ART
No full textThis paper provides a critical overview of the formal proposals that attempt to capture the mechanism by which vocatives relate to the clause structure. Briefly, all the studies agree that vocatives merge in the clause in response to a trigger, namely a probing [addressee] feature. However, the studies diverge when it comes to the location of this probing feature and the implementation of its syntactic checking. Crucially, while recognizing the considerable progress the theory has made so far on this issue, this overview also reveals the areas that still pose challenges for all the current studies, and for which further research is needed
CÂTEVA CONSIDERAȚII DESPRE STIL ȘI DINAMICA LEXICULUI ROMÂNESC ACTUAL: A FEW REMARKS ON STIL AND THE DYNAMICS OF PRESENT-DAY ROMANIAN VOCABULARY
No full textThe present paper aims at investigating – from a multidisciplinary (etymological, semantic, functional) perspective – the impact of English on some terminologies formally and semantically related to the concept of style (such as clothing, hairdressing and cosmetics). The analysis is based on a corpus including simple, compound and phrasal terms selected from the online media and websites on the Internet.Two major categories of specialized terms are taken into consideration: English borrowings (still looking foreign in form) and different types of calques (structural, phraseological, semantic) reproducing English models by means of Romanian words, mostly of French origin. It is worth noting that most of these neologisms are not listed in the general dictionaries of contemporary Romanian, despite their increasing frequency not only in the jargon of experts, but also in journalese, advertising, and the everyday language of social networks.In the end, the study briefly presents from a functional perspective the discursive functions performed in specialized texts, in journalese and in advertising by the “necessary” vs “superfluous” Anglicisms included in the “hybrid” family of the word stil
CONSTRUCȚII CONCESIVE „METISATE”: HYBRID CONCESSIVE CONSTRUCTIONS
No full textThis article argues for an information structure approach to the analysis of prototypical concessive constructions with the connector deși `although`, in Romanian. The analysis of the concessive constructions proposed here is semantically based on the notion of contrast. On one hand, it is argued that this perspective allows one to make subdivisions within the category of prototypical concessive constructions, depending on the co-occurrence of different types of contrast. One other hand, it is argued that this approach offers an explanatory representation for the cases where the contrast `hybridisation` may occur, revealing different concessive `flavours`
PARENTAL IDEOLOGIES AND LANGUAGE OUTCOMES IN ROMANIAN-ITALIAN BILINGUALS. A CASE STUDY ON BI-LITERACY DEVELOPMENT
No full textThis study investigates the role of heritage language (HL) literacy in shaping phonological awareness and reading skills among Romanian-Italian bilingual children in Italy. Drawing on data from 81 children aged 8-10 and their families, the research comparesthe performance of bi-literate bilinguals (exposed to formal literacy instruction in Romanian) with that of mono-literate bilinguals (literate only in Italian) and Italian monolinguals. Children completed tasks measuring phonological awareness and word and pseudoword reading in both Romanian and Italian. Parental attitudes toward HL transmission were also assessed through Likert-scale questionnaires and thematic analysis of open-ended responses. Results showed that bi-literate bilinguals outperformed mono-literate peers on phonological tasks in both languages and on Italian pseudoword reading, highlighting the cognitive benefits of dual literacy. Parental attitudes revealed strong support for oral HL maintenance, but divergent views on the value of written Romanian, often shaped by concerns about cognitive load and perceived utility. The findings underscore the importance of institutional and familial support for biliteracy as a driver of linguistic development in multilingual contexts
William Least Heat-Moon’s American Travels: Representing Spaces through the American Road Narrative
No full textWilliam Least Heat-Moon embarked on a road trip across the United States in 1978, after having lost his job as a professor and after divorcing. With his van, called Ghost Dancing, after Native American ceremonies, Heat-Moon hits the open road for three months, travelling only through the backroads of America, with the intention to find pristine places. These experiences on the road are recounted in his well-known road book Blue Highways: A Journey into America (1982). The aim of this article is to discuss the representation of space—natural and manmade—within Heat-Moon’s Blue Highways, using ecocritical and geocritical studies as a methodological mapping for the analysis. Applying the ecocritical and geocritical approaches will contribute to provide a more comprehensive study on the topic of space, leading also to a reconsideration of the genre of the American road narrative, and consequently, providing new insights on mobilities and space studies
Dimitrie Voinov (1867-1951) and his achievements in biology
No full textDimitrie Voinov (1867-1951) was one of the most important and valuable Romanian biologists. He dedicated his life to his passion for biology and he was a great professor, biologist, zoologist, histologist and cytologist. Also, Voinov was a professor at the Faculty of Science, University of Bucharest, where he made his passion for biology into a career. He studied formation and evolution of sex cells, oogenesis, and spermatogenesis in invertebrates. These studies provide essential contributions about invertebrate chromosomes. He also did a lot of research on cytoplasmic elements, such as mitochondria and Golgi complex. Voinov was the first researcher that discovered a case of aneuploidy in the Animalia Kingdom. Some of his research articles are considered the basis of classical cytogenetics and he is known as one of the founders of the Cytogenetics School in Romania. Dimitre Voinov was a member of the Romanian Academy. This article is a tribute to his impressive career and highlights his human and professional development, as well as his scientific contributions and discoveries
The reverse gender gap in education. A sociological case study on secondary education in Ialomița County, Romania
No full textThis article addresses the reverse gender gap in the performance of high school students through a case study in Ialomița County. The results show that boys face an average disadvantage compared to girls, which is a phenomenon consistently observed nationally and internationally. The study examines how the Covid-19 pandemic, gender, residence, specialization and other socio-demographic predictors contribute to educational inequalities. On one hand, it discusses the over-representation of girls in domains characterized by higher Baccalaureate graduation rates (theoretical and vocational). On the other hand, it documents the over-representation of boys in domains characterized by lower Baccalaureate graduation rates (technological). Moreover, the results indicate that high school admission and high school graduation average grades are predictors of Baccalaureate success, but they differ significantly between specialization domains. The article creates a typology of high school graduates and highlights problems related to grade inflation. These problems may hide the real competences of students, especially in the technological specialization areas. The study also notes a specific disadvantage for pupils affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
European public attitudes and perceptions on digitalization and artificial intelligence
No full textThis empirical study examines European public attitudes and perceptions, focusing on Romania, regarding digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI). Using data from the Eurobarometer 95.2, the study reveals that Romanian attitudes, while generally aligned with the EU28 average, exhibit slightly more pessimism in several areas. Romanians display a balanced view of AI’s potential benefits and risks, similar to the broader European attitudes, but are more apprehensive about the impact of AI on job creation and the relationship between science, technology, and human rights. Perceptions of digital technology and ICT in Romania are positive but tempered with more caution compared to the EU28 average. These findings underscore the importance of developing cohesive EU policies that address shared concerns and promote public trust in technological advancements, while also considering the specific apprehensions and perspectives of Romanian citizens