METAPHORS IN COMPUTER VIROLOGY DISCOURSE

Abstract

This work is performed as part of the cognitive-discursive paradigm of modern linguistics. The object of the investigation is the concept “computer virus” and its linguistic representation in a computer virology discourse. The research is based on the texts from the Corpus of Contemporary American English. The first stage of the linguistic and conceptual investigation of “computer virus” is based on Metaphor Investigation Process (MIPVU) developed by the Metaphor Lab at VU University Amsterdam. The identification procedure includes the following main steps: reading the text/discourse, acquiring a general understanding of its meaning, selecting lexical units from the text/discourse, and establishing their contextual and contemporary meanings. If the contextual meaning contrasts with the basic meaning but can be understood in comparison with it, the lexical unit is marked as metaphorical (Pragglejaz Group 2007). The second stage of the investigation is based on the method of metaphorical modeling, which implies taxonomic categorization, developed by S. Mishlanova (Mishlanova 2002). On the basis of corpus analysis a metaphorical model “computer virus” was constructed. The model represents a taxonomic structure, which includes the basic taxons “man as a social subject,” “man as a biological creature,” and “animal.” The most representative areas of source domains included, “military operation” (represented by such linguistic metaphors as attack, strike, defeat ), “diseases” ( crippling, succumb, infected ), and “interpersonal relations” ( be angry at, enter into, want ). At the current stage of computer virology development, metaphor plays a very important role as a universal tool for conceptualization and categorization of new knowledge that relies on the preceding experience of the person participating in the cognitive process. The structure of the concept "computer virus" is a hierarchical system, fixing the unscientific notion of a computer virus, the peculiarities of its functioning, and the ways to combat this malicious program. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12731/2218-7405-2013-7-15