Reality as Technology, or Ontological Lexicon in Modern Processes Nomination

The study examines terminological nominations in the IT sphere in the Russian, which include lexicon denoting ontological concepts. The aim of the research is to identify a conceptual shift in the perception of reality, as explicit in new terminological nominations of the digital era (augmented reality, mixed reality, RR). Composite nominations with key nouns of ontological semantics were extracted from scientific and media discourse. Research methodology includes semantic and contextual analysis, interpretative analysis within the framework of the theory of linguistic conceptualization of the world. The following conclusions were drawn: the use of words of ontological semantics in IT technical terms reflects a technocentric view of objective reality, where its fundamentally significant role in human and societal organization is reimagined. The concept of “reality” is juxtaposed with the concept of “virtuality.” The “real reality” itself, designated as ‘RR’, is considered one of the components in the paradigm of immersive technologies. Semantic changes are evident in the adjective ‘realnyy’ [real]: in opposition to attributes like ‘virtualnyy’ [virtual], ‘onlayn’ [online], etc., it embodies a new semantic nuance ‘manifesting not in virtual space’, which becomes relevant in discussions about the role of digital technologies in life.