Wodak

Wodak is a surname of Germanic origin that is found in Austria, Germany, and other Central European regions. It is carried by individuals across various fields, including academia, journalism, and public life.

Ruth Wodak (born 1950) is an Austrian linguist and professor renowned for her work in critical discourse analysis (CDA). She helped develop the discourse-historical approach (DHA), a method that combines linguistic analysis with historical context to study political and media discourse. Her research addresses language, power, identity, immigration, nationalism, and populism, and she has influenced the study of how discourse shapes public opinion and social practices. Wodak has held academic positions at the University of Vienna and at Lancaster University and has published extensively in linguistics and discourse studies.

The surname Wodak remains relatively uncommon, and Ruth Wodak is the best-known bearer internationally due to her prominence in discourse studies and her contributions to CDA.