LEXICAL FEATURES OF THE PUERTO RICAN NATIONAL VARIETY OF SPANISH

Ignashina Zoya N.

The article examines the lexical features of the Puerto Rican national variety of the Spanish language. It analyzes the key pathways in the formation of its unique lexicon, such as semantic shifts, borrowings, and word formation, giving the detailed analysis of the main culturally marked lexical-semantic fields that reflect the specifics of Puerto Rico's nature, daily life, social relations, and economy. The work also addresses the concept of linguistic variability in the context of the Spanish language, as reflected in the works of domestic and foreign researchers. Despite the significant number of speakers, the Puerto Rican variety, characterized by intense language contact and a complex historical-cultural context, remains a relevant and relatively understudied subject within variational linguistics. Research into its specific features is required for a deeper understanding of the formation of national language varieties and for successful intercultural communication.

Keywords:national variant of the Spanish language, linguistic variation, lexical-semantic field, semantic shift, borrowing, anglicisms, phraseology, language contact.