«COVID» humour in English, French and Russian languages

The article deals with jokes in the English, French and Russian languages dedicated to Covid 19 found by the authors on the Internet. The given jokes are presented both in the purely graphic written image and combined with pictures which are sometimes internet memes. The sub topics circulating in the researched humorous sayings are analyzed (the quarantine and self isolation, the pandemic spread, means of self protection etc.). Among them, nuclear and peripheral sub topics are singled out which further are compared in the three languages. The hypothesis stating that the nuclear spheres in the three groups mostly correspond, while their diff erences are more qualitative than quantitative. The authors consider the basic features of less popular topics and make conclusions about the peculiarities of the corresponding linguacultures. In the material under study calque jokes are identifi ed (they are sayings practically literally following each other in the pairs of languages such as French and Russian, English and French). The article presents a theoretical meaning for comparative, historical and typological linguistics. Highlighting calque jokes may present a practical meaning for translation studies.