TOWARDS THE ROLE OF METAPHOR IN FRENCH POLITICAL DISCOURSE (ON THE MATERIAL OF THE FRENCH PERIODICALS <i>LE PARISIEN</i>AND<i>LE MONDE</i>)

Abstract

The article examines the role of metaphorical word usages in French political discourse. Authentic examples of language units extracted from the online newspapers “Le Parisien” and “Le Monde” (published from November to December 2020) were analyzed. The urgency of the study can be attributed to the choice of authentic examples for argumentation of the theses posed, as well as the increasing role of metaphor as a cognitive phenomenon and its impact on the worldview of society, which is clearly demonstrated by the examples from French political discourse. The scientific novelty of the study may consist in the fact that on the basis of illustrative material (including fragments of speeches by the leader of the ultra-left formations in France and the 2022 candidate for the post of president Jean-Luc Melenchon), the metaphor is pre- sented as a persuasive means of explicating intentions, which can be useful for developing the theory of communication in the intercultural context. It is shown that the figurative use of linguistic signs is aimed at manipulating the recipient's consciousness and forming a certain model of the socio-political context. Equally, metaphors serve as a means of embellishing the language of French political communication. Metaphorical constructions give the phrase complexity and cause the recipient to analyze and think about what he or she has read. Thus one of the tasks of political stylistics, namely, the “function of persuasion” which allows influencing the recipient with the help of visual and expressive means of language is realized. The practical significance of the work is derived from the possibility of including fragments of the analysis of illustrative material in the teaching of translation theory and practice; the material may also be of interest to those who develop a special course in French political discourse study.