Abstract
Context: A mechanism for the creation of metaphor When the new South African Constitution was adopted on 8 May 1996, the former Deputy President Thabo Mbeki – president since June 1999 – made a statement on behalf of the ANC. In his address he used the expression “I am an African” in an extraordinary way: to promote the idea of a “rainbow nation”. From a cognitive linguistic view this article analyses the development of the metaphor status of this specific expression against the background of relevant contextual variables. It is argued that the speech context functions in various ways: it filters information from different conceptual experience domains; it explicates the generic space to some degree, contrary to its customary role in the creation of a metaphor, in which case the generic space functions at a low level of description; and as such it links the source and target domains of the relevant metaphoric expression. Although the expression “I am an African” reveals a characteristic metaphorical structure, cross-domain mapping in this instance takes an opposite route due to the fact that this expression acquires its metaphorical features at deep-rooted levels of conceptual blending, instigated by the specific speech context.
Highlights
Voor 1994 het die apartheidsideologie rigiede grense binne die SuidAfrikaanse gemeenskap gevestig en in stand gehou
When the new South African Constitution was adopted on 8 May 1996
From a cognitive linguistic view this article analyses the development of the metaphor status of this specific expression
Summary
Voor 1994 het die apartheidsideologie rigiede grense binne die SuidAfrikaanse gemeenskap gevestig en in stand gehou. Alhoewel die Grondwet nasiewording onderskryf, maak dit ook op verskillende vlakke voorsiening vir diversiteit Wet 108 van 1996), na die inwerkingstelling daarvan op 4 Februarie 1997, sou egter onderhewig wees aan bepaalde beperkende kragte, onder andere die fasilitering van diversiteit, die opheffing van ’n diep gewortelde apartheidskultuur en die feit dat ’n grondwet as sodanig nie ’n waarborg vir die waardes daarvan is nie. Teen die agtergrond hiervan kan die I am an African-toespraak van die toenmalige Adjunkpresident Thabo Mbeki op 8 Mei 1996, tydens die aanvaarding van die Grondwet, onder andere gelees word as ’n poging om die gedagte van ’n “reënboognasie” te stimuleer Daarom is dit nodig om ook statisties na die relatiewe voornaamwoordswaartepunte binne die betoog te verwys, alhoewel die implikasies daarvan nie in hierdie ontleding volledig aandag sal kry nie
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