"Say 'Palianytsia'": Language and War in Ukrainian Humor in 2022.

This article analyzes how Ukrainian humor about the Ukrainian and Russian languages during the 2022 full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine serves to strengthen Ukrainian national identity, promote the normative use of Ukrainian, and establish a culture of vigilance amid wartime conditions. Drawing on interactionist, pragmatic, and incongruity theories of humor, the study shows that jokes, memes, and sketches function as communicative acts that distinguish "insiders" fluent in Ukrainian from "outsiders," often represented by Russian speakers or the aggressor. Key examples include the use of the Ukrainian word *palianytsia* as a linguistic shibboleth, humor that contrasts Ukrainian and Russian vocabulary, and jokes that mock Russian misunderstandings of Ukrainian, all reinforcing group solidarity and cultural separation from Russia. The research highlights how humor operates both as a coping mechanism and a social tool for identity affirmation and vigilance in the context of ongoing conflict.