The Russian prepositional TIPA and VRODE in online student discourse: evidence of attraction?

Abstract This article scrutinizes the use of two competing Russian prepositions, tipa and vrode ‘like, such as’, in online student discourse. Both are associated with crosslinguistically attested grammaticalization taxonomic nouns, having derived from noun tip ‘type’ rod ‘kind’. A prior study contemporary to fairly recent forecasted a substitution scenario for forms. Forty years later, present shows that current discourse younger speakers (i) there is indeed selectional bias favor prepositional (which does not extend items’ particle uses) (ii) prepositions demonstrate high degree attraction. However, this also provides quantitative evidence suggests presence counterforce – subjectification. The selection modeled on basis functions, realizations right- left-side slots, speaker’s gender, their evaluative attitude referent construction, perceived casualness situation proxied by neutral or markedly informal expression styles.