Digital multilingualism in the borderland economy: the online communication of Hungarian small enterprises in Transcarpathia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58423/2786-6726/2026-2-90-113Keywords:
linguistic landscape, virtual linguistic landscape, multilingualism, Transcarpathia, small enterprises, language strategy, economyAbstract
Our research examines the virtual linguistic landscape of Hungarian small enterprises in Transcarpathia, with particular attention to the strategic role of multilingualism in digital communication. Building on the theoretical framework of linguistic landscape analysis, the research extends this approach to the online sphere. The qualitative study analyses the social media pages, websites, and communication appearing on global booking platforms of small enterprises with a digital presence operating in 26 settlements in Transcarpathia.
The results show that multilingualism is a conscious and functional element of digital communication. Although monolingual content is dominant, many enterprises apply bilingual or multilingual strategies in order to expand their market reach and build trust. Platform-level linguistic segmentation can also be observed, whereby enterprises address their target audiences with different linguistic orientations on different platforms. In addition to Hungarian and Ukrainian, the presence of Romanian points to the role of cross-border economic relations and tourism.
The economic conditions transformed by the war, limited mobility, and market uncertainty give increased importance to online presence, which is becoming one of the key tools for enterprises to maintain contact with consumers and preserve their market visibility.
The research demonstrates that online language use not only reflects the multilingual social reality of the region but also forms part of a conscious economic and communicative strategy that serves both the representation of identity and market positioning. The study of the online linguistic landscape facilitates a sensitive monitoring of changes in the social and economic processes of borderland regions, as language use appearing in digital space simultaneously reflects identity strategies, market orientations, and regional networks of relations.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ingrid Lőrinc , Adrienn Vig
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