What’s in a drilling hole? The indexicality of competing gas terms in Swedish discourse

This study examines the terms naturgas (‘natural gas’) and fossilgas (‘fossil gas’) as indexical signs in Swedish media and political discourse. Drawing on diachronic data from newspaper and parliamentary databases, the study combines quantitative data with qualitative discourse analysis to examine how the terms have emerged, circulated, and acquired social meaning over time. The findings show that naturgas , introduced in the late 19th century, emerged within a register of resource abundance and has remained the dominant and relatively unmarked term, accommodating both positive and neutral evaluations. In contrast, fossilgas , introduced in the late 20th century, functions as a marked alternative that indexes critical stances by foregrounding the fossil character of the resource and its ecological implications. By tracing the historical development and discursive use of these competing terms, the study demonstrates how lexical choices contribute to the framing of energy resources and to the construction of contrasting environmental meanings. It thereby highlights the role of language in shaping and negotiating human–environment relations in contexts of ecological and political transformation. • Naturgas and fossilgas index contrasting environmental framings. • The term naturgas emerged in a register of usable natural resources. • Fossilgas critically emphasizes the link to climate change. • Fossilgas has emerged as a marked, evaluative alternative term. • Diachronic analysis links terminology to shifts in energy discourse.