Words as mirrors of social ills: acronymisation and discursive strategies in the Face of insecurity in Burkina Faso

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Résumé

This article examines the role of acronyms in political, media, and
institutional discourses related to terrorism in Burkina Faso. It shows
that, in a context of insecurity, acronym formation is not merely a
communication technique but a strategic tool of discursive
construction that helps structure the security narrative. The
methodology, based on purposive sampling combined with a
qualitative approach, draws on both institutional and media sources.
The findings identify 22 acronyms drawn from crisis-related discourse,
revealing a discursive asymmetry. Most acronyms highlight state
response mechanisms, while human consequences are reduced to
impersonal abbreviations. This imbalance reflects a form of symbolic
violence, in Bourdieu’s sense, whereby language serves to legitimize
state action while trivializing collective suffering. The analysis shows
that these acronyms, which have become part of everyday language,
contribute to the lexicalization of terror and to the social
internalization of the conflict.
The study concludes that rethinking the language of security is a
political and ethical necessity, in order to prevent discourse from
becoming complicit in the erasure of victims from collective memory.

Mots-clés

acronym, terrorism, discourse, sociolinguistics, sociology of language, Stylistic