Metaphor In Discourse Research Articles

CORONA IS AN ATTACK, ELECTIONS ARE BATTLES AND SPORTS IS WAR: UNIVERSALITY OF WAR METAPHOR AND EMBODIMENT OF COGNITION

The human conceptual framework is metaphorical and plays an important role in giving meaning to our everyday reality. The publication of the book Metaphors We Live By (1980) by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson brought out a paradigm shift in the traditional conceptualisation of metaphor as a linguistic, ornamental phenomenon, as they argued that metaphors are conceptual in nature, pervasive in thought and govern our everyday reality. Generally, disease, sports, and elections are presented in terms of war in popular media as well as in other public discourses. Thus, in our discursive domains, the Covid-19 pandemic is often portrayed as an attack, sports competitions are wars, elections are battles, and this conceptualisation makes complete sense to people globally regardless of language or cultural background. This article examines, with recourse to the theoretical formulation of Cognitive Cultural Theory, the reasons for the universality of the war metaphor in popular discourse. The study employs the notions of conceptual metaphors, embodiment of cognition, primary metaphors, and mirror neurons as theoretical tools for the analysis.

Metaphor and Health Communication: Use of Metaphor in HIV and AIDS Discourse

Language plays a fundamental role in combatting HIV and AIDS. In Kenya, English and Kiswahili are used as the languages of communication in HIV and AIDS related issues. The literacy rate in Kenya stands at 87.4% but research has indicated that only 17% of the population speak and use English effectively while, 65% speak and understand Kiswahili. The use of Kiswahili in health communication cannot be underscored given the fact that majority of the Kenyan population can understand and interpret Kiswahili messages received in a communication string. The fight on HIV and AIDS includes use of songs and poetry. A number of Kenyan artists have invented ways of fighting this scourge in their use of music and this entails use of metaphor in their songs. One such musician is Jackoniah Oyoo who employs metaphor in his song Merimela. Human beings use metaphor to make sense of reality. Metaphor is defined as understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another. In this scenario, a concrete or clearly organized source domain, being more clearly related to physical and bodily experience, is used to talk about a more abstract and less clearly structured target domain. Metaphorical conceptualization of concepts is so natural and at times unconscious to human beings that they do not even realize that they are using metaphor. This article seeks to examine the metaphorical conceptualization and interpretation of the metaphors used in the song Merimela. The ubiquity nature of metaphors makes it possible for a number of metaphors to be used in the song Merimela. This article reveals how metaphor reflects and structures Kenyans understanding of reality particularly the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Are religion metaphors anti‑revolutionary?

Abstract This paper investigates the socio-political implications of sceptical metaphors in French discourse about the climate crisis. Existing literature has demonstrated the prevalence of religion metaphors in English sceptical discourse. Yet, in France, religious references in language use are limited as such references have been considered “anti-revolutionary” since the storming of the Bastille, in 1789. I thus ask to what extent sceptical metaphors in French climate crisis discourse differ from English sceptical metaphors. To this aim, I conduct a corpus-based study relying on texts published in the extreme-right wing French newspaper “Valeurs Actuelles”. The metaphors identified in this corpus are analysed so as to uncover the mini-narratives related to sceptical metaphor scenarios. Consistent with existing literature, the analysis establishes the prevalence of the religion scenario. However, the research highlights significant argumentative exploitations: metaphor users define the source concept according to cultural viewpoints on religion and ideological understanding of the religious lexicon. I demonstrate that religion metaphors prevail because associated source concepts (environmentalism as islam) are not conceived as being part of the domain of religion, according to these (extreme-right-wing) discourse producers.

Creative Use of Metaphor in Nigerian Political Discourse

The paper investigated use of metaphor in contemporary Nigerian political discourse with the aim of revealing the multi-faceted patterns of metaphoric language in order to examine the creativity in political communication. The data were derived from a variety of illustrative texts sourced from Nigerian newspapers and magazines that are circulated nationwide. The study employed the cognitive linguistics approach originated by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson to discuss the two significant metaphor themes of war and journey in the corpus data. The findings showed that metaphors are used as persuasive strategy and manipulative tool by politicians. The metaphors of war revealed that politics is typically conceived of as warfare with the primary aim of winning elections at all costs and the metaphors of journey depicted a nation in search of solutions to socio-economic problems and moving towards nationhood. The study concluded that the use of metaphor in political discourse is not just an ornamental device but a necessary feature of political communication. This research will extend the existing perspective on the rhetorical imperative in the deployment of metaphor in Nigerian political discourse.

Features of metaphors in song discourse based on the texts of rock musicians

This article is devoted to the study of some linguistic and stylistic features of the English and Russian-language song discourse. The study is based on examples taken from the rock band songs. The lyrics of the songs were analyzed for the use of such a linguistic means of expression as metaphor. Research has shown that both Russian and English-speaking authors often use this linguo-stylistic means of expressiveness during the writing of their musical works to give euphony, a special expressive coloring and to convey their emotional state. It was revealed that song lyrics are an important element of musical culture and can convey to listeners not only musical, but also socio-political and philosophical ideas, while using various metaphorical constructions to give a vivid image. The article considers the impact on the imagination, emotions of the Russian and English-speaking listener through the use of metaphor and how this linguistic means draws attention to a certain feature of the described phenomenon and reflects the author’s attitude to the text.

Conceptual Field of Subsphere “Natural World” on Basis of Political Metaphors (Ukrainian and English)

The article is devoted to the conceptual field of the subsphere “Natural world” based on metaphors in political discourse in the Ukrainian and English languages. The frequency of political metaphors use in the research languages was studied. The special features of the subsphere “Natural world” in metaphors of political discourse in the Ukrainian and English languages are determined. The conceptual field’s lexical-semantic content of the subsphere “Natural world” is analyzed. The peculiarities of the subsphere conceptual field, its division into concepts, and the connotative nuances of this subsphere on the material of the research languages are distinguished. The frames of the animal and plant world are determined, where metaphors reflect the specifics of political life, election procedures, ways of attracting voters, the nature of the interaction between political parties and voters, the processes of adopting laws, reforming and international interaction. Political metaphors in the field of geology and meteorology are also analyzed, where metaphors are actively involved in political rhetoric, reflecting the political life of the country as a whole, as well as political events abroad; metaphors are actively used to denote elements of the country’s political life, which journalists present as changeable, poorly predicted, but at the same time dynamic and cyclical.

Технологическая метафора и коммуникативные модели в новейшей русскоязычной поэзии

The article investigates the functioning of technological metaphor and communication models in poetic discourse. The aim of the study is to explore contemporary Russian poetry in its relation to digital technologies, employing cognitive-discursive and media-cognitive ap­proaches. Technological metaphor is an implicit property inherent in both technical objects and poetic texts, which manifests itself on two levels: lexical-semantic and cognitive-communicative. The article proposes an approach to the study of technological metaphor in three aspects: the examination of a technical object as containing its own metaphorical sub­strate, the thematization of a technical object in a poetic text and metaphorization strategies, and the implicit functioning of a technological metaphor at the level of the whole text, which affects the communication structure of poetic discourse. The key parameters of the new com­munication models in poetic discourse include the transformation of the prototypical space of the poetic text, changes in the principles of poetic framing, semantic and syntactic compres­sion, multiple integration of mental spaces, referential uncertainty, the functioning of com­puter terms as metaphors in poetic discourse, and their secondary metaphorization/deme­ta­pho­rization. The active interaction of poetry and technology leads to the creation of communi­cation aesthetics, with a key parameter being the formation of hybrid cognitive-communi­ca­tive zones in poetic discourse.

Boxing metaphors in political discourse: A quantitative corpus-based study

This paper utilizes the cognitive theory of metaphor and a corpus-based methodology to investigate the prevalent usage of metaphorical expressions derived from boxing terminology in the domain of politics. The objective is to identify and analyze the boxing metaphors that are commonly employed in political discourse. The findings of this study demonstrate the existence of boxing metaphors that exhibit strong or loose associations with the political domain. These metaphors possess distinct figurative meanings, originate from diverse metaphorical mappings, and serve multiple functions within the realm of political discourse.

Bilingual Turkish Teacher Candidates' Metaphoric Perceptions of Turkish: A Case Study of the Turkology Department at the University of Duisburg-Essen

In this study, it was aimed to determine the metaphorical perceptions of bilingual Turkish teacher candidates in Germany towards Turkish. The study group of the research consisted of 63 Turkish teacher candidates studying at different grade levels in Turkistic Department of Duisburg-Essen University, Germany in the winter semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. In order to collect research data, a form was developed so that students could write their metaphors and express themselves clearly. In the research, in which a qualitative approach was adopted, the students said, “Turkish is like……. Because……..’’. They were asked to complete the statement “…”, and a metaphorical discourse determination was made by examining the collected data. Metaphor forms were filled in face-to-face interviews with students. In the research, where prospective teachers were expected to focus on a single metaphor related to the subject and express its reason clearly, the data were analyzed with the content analysis technique. 41 metaphors obtained from 63 valid forms filled by the students were divided into categories according to the similarity and relationality of justification reasons. The metaphors which obtained as a result of the research have been classified into seven different conceptual categories: "belonging and valuing", "continuity and wealth", "being necessary and informative", "being original", "rooted history and scope", ‘'difficulty and distance'’ and ‘'aesthetic and meaningfulness'’ respectively, according to frequency values. The most repetitive metaphors were found as "home, rainbow, sea, tree, hometown, poetry, flower and family", respectively. As a result, it was found that bilingual Turkish teacher candidates in Germany value Turkish and have positive perceptions about Turkish, based on seven conceptual categories and 41 metaphors. In addition, it has been concluded that these pre-service teachers, who are aware of the importance of Turkish in Germany and are trained to protect it, to claim and to pass it on to future generations, have sufficient awareness about the purpose of their profession.

Образ Швейцарии М. П. Шишкина через призму концептуальной метафоры

The article studies the role that the conceptual metaphor plays in reconstructing the image of Switzerland. On the material of the literary and historic guidebook The Russian Switzerland by M. P. Shishkin the semantic and stylistic features of metaphors, which are peculiarly encoded definitions of the author’s conceptual meanings, are described. The goal of the paper is to identify the techniques of how the image of Switzerland is conceptualized in its Russian representation. The metaphor’s modeling role is considered on the language and concept levels, a special meta-meaning of the image of Switzerland is registered; it is related to the author’s self-awareness in the space of the foreign culture, to his attempt to comprehend the history of the 20th century through the lens of the conceptual dialogue of cultures. The author’s metaphorical range was analyzed by means of continuous sampling; further, the systemic character in using metaphors in creating the image of Switzerland was revealed. The connection between metaphor and meta-poetic principles of work is noted, the functioning of metaphor in different discourses, related to the history and culture of Russia, is considered. This research is relevant due to the interest of the philological science to the phenomena associated with the thought processes, in particular, on the example of texts that generate artistic and journalistic elements, an interconnection between the author’s thought and the specific nature of the linguistic representation of conceptual meaning of history and culture can be observed. The author’s principle of “coupling” and “combining” is addressed not only in the organization of the textual space (as a genre feature), but in creating a number of conceptual metaphors, which are essential for the thorough understanding of historical reality, its reference points, truth and fallacies through the lens of a certain individual. In the context of M. P. Shishkin’s oeuvre the meta-literary component of the metaphorical models has a special value (space, mirrors/deflection, artefact metaphor).

Language and Politics: Framing the Use of Conceptual Metaphors in Political Discourse

This article examines the intricate relationship between language and politics through the lens of conceptual metaphors utilized in contemporary political discourse. By analyzing the framing and use of conceptual metaphors in political communication, the study aims to elucidate how language shapes and influences political narratives and ideologies. In this study, a qualitative research approach was adopted, incorporating critical discourse analysis (CDA) to delve into the use of conceptual metaphors in the context of American political discourse, taking as a case study Barack Obama's 2009 Cairo speech and Donald Trump's 2017 Inaugural Address. Drawing upon insights from studies on cognitive linguistics, politics, and discourse analysis, the research investigates the ways in which political actors strategically employ metaphors to construct persuasive arguments, shape public opinion, and advance specific policy agendas. This research thus aims to contribute to a nuanced understanding of the relation existing between language and political persuasion.

Zero-sum or Win-win Game?

Abstract Metaphors can express ideological and evaluative positions. However, comparative studies on the framing implications of sports/game metaphors in Western and Chinese contexts remain underexplored. This study examines how journalists in China, the UK, and the US use sports/game metaphors to frame trade disputes in comparable English-language economic news based on a context-sensitive and hierarchical analytical framework. Results reveal the prevalence of sports/game metaphors in both Chinese and Western texts. Additionally, the results demonstrate that the UK and US texts exhibit socio-cultural preferences for associating specific sports/game scenarios that are salient in Western cultures, e.g., rugby, with trade disputes, and favor a competition narrative. However, the Chinese texts favor a coopetition narrative, suggesting both competition and win-win cooperation. This study adds new insights into cultural variations in the use and framing implications of sports/game metaphors in Western and Chinese economic discourse to express ideological standpoints towards similar economic issues.

COVID-19 as WATER? The functions of WATER metaphors in the metaphorical representation of COVID-19.

Previous studies have examined WATER metaphors in different discourses, yet there has been limited focus on understanding the functions of these metaphors in constructing discourses. To address this research gap, the present paper utilised the metaphor identification procedure developed by the Pragglejaz Group and the Weak Differentiating Model to investigate WATER metaphors in the Coronavirus Corpus. The study reveals that WATER metaphors can be used flexibly for multiple purposes. These include explaining the many pandemic stages, describing the occurrence and performance of the pandemic, explaining how COVID-19 affects human life, rallying the public to take precautions against contagion, and communicating risk. This research highlights the diverse functions that WATER metaphors served in conveying intricate information and influencing public perceptions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Toward a Cognitive-Pragmatic Account of Humorous Metaphor in Chinese Diplomatic Discourse

Despite the repeated call for humor research, few attempts have been made to address humorous metaphors in diplomatic discourse. This paper examined each type of strategic humor behind these metaphors in Chinese diplomatic discourse from the perspective of cognitive pragmatics. Blending theory, metaphorical mapping, and inferential structure between source and target domain were examined to construe the implicature behind humorous metaphors in digital diplomacy, press conferences, and presidential speeches. We found: (1) multimodal resources can add more value to metaphor inference in digital diplomacy, especially with blending theory; (2) many offensive metaphors of PATIENT, PERFORMANCE have been attributed to the US and its allies.

THE ROLE OF CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR OF NAME IN MODERN DISCOURSE

The article deals with the analysis of daknam and bhalonam as names and conceptual metaphors in modern discourse. The article’s aim is to explore the peculiarities and new interpretation of daknam and bhalonam in the context of the transculture paradigm i

The Examination Metaphor and its Source Image Transformation in Chinese Urban Discourse

The examination metaphor in Chinese urban discourse appears more and more frequently, becoming a new kind of metaphor with Chinese characteristics, and its related research is an exploration of the external communication of urban image based on philosophical cognition and discourse rhetoric. The study of metaphors in urban discourse can follow the theoretical paradigm of "two identification and three grouping", in which specific metaphors are identified through quantitative and qualitative identification procedures, followed by a three-step grouping analysis of metaphor generation mechanism, diffusion performance, and motivation function to comprehensively and systematically describe and explain these metaphors. The examination metaphors in this investigation are used more frequently than war metaphors as the characteristic metaphors of Chinese urban discourse and enter the new-age urban discourse through the cognitive mechanism of conceptual integration; the examination metaphors have fixed types and rich collocations; they are generated under a variety of cognitive, rhetorical, cultural, and figurative motives and play the functions of discursive rhetoric, image shaping, and empathic cognition. Finally, it is important to balance the advantages and disadvantages of exam metaphors in urban discourse and to develop new paths of discourse metaphor research.

Review of Šeškauskienė (2022): Metaphor in Legal Discourse

Review of Šeškauskienė (2022): Metaphor in Legal Discourse

Like Animals Like Human Beings: An Ecocritical Metaphor Discourse of Leadership in Selected Poems of Niyi Osundare

Niyi Osundare extensively investigates the natural world, which is the habitat inhabited by nonhuman beings, in his poems. As a result, his poetry is referred to as eco-poetry. There have been a lot of studies of Niyi Osundare’s poetry that have focused on traditional aesthetics, political power, exile, and the African experience, but not enough studies that have looked at the leadership of animals in their natural habitats. The main sources of information for the study are Niyi Osundare’s The Leader and the Led and Random Blues. This study examined the animal metaphor in relation to leadership from the viewpoints of Lakoff and Johnson’s conceptual metaphor theory and Michael Halliday’s transitivity theory. Four main participant and process categories are identified by the data as being present in the poems, with the Material and Relational processes having the largest frequency distributions (62.98% and 22.22%, respectively). This large proportion indicates both the ongoing activity in the African continent and the significant demands that people are under in their desire to rule the biosphere. The the low occurrence of verbal and mental processes in followers (11.11% and 7.40%, respectively) suggests that both animal and human leadership aspirants are more interested in what followers do than followers are. Also, the findings revealed the metaphorical representation of each animal thus: serpent(complacence), leeches and lice (parasite), orangutans (class), beasts (hard labor), crocodile (betrayal), hive (defense), lion (subjugation), antelopes/impalas (fright), hyena (glutton), giraffe (nonchalance), zebra (duplicity), elephant (destruction), warthog (ugliness), rhino (violence), snake (anarchy), lamb (peace), tiger (aggression), doe (compassion). Overall, the study concluded that we need leaders and followers who are similar to lambs and does for harmonious cohabitation in the ecosystem.

Translating figurative language

Abstract This article brings together the extensive literature on figurative language and translation into a single framework to serve translators in a directly practical way in their practice/training. It encourages a view of figurativeness as the norm rather than the exception and figurative language as a flexible meaning-making resource rather than an obstacle to contend with. All language is characterized as figurative because of the indeterminacy of language and the partial nature of meaning making; all translation is viewed as non-literal because of the lack of exact correspondences between languages and the need to use near equivalents. Two approaches are recommended: (1) recreating the ‘semantic space’ of the source rather than mechanically matching its lexicogrammar; (2) viewing metonymy and metaphor as ‘master tropes’ and translating other tropes in terms of relatedness. The challenges of translating metonymy and metaphor in discourse at the level of the whole text are also explored.

Metaphor and English Promotional Tourism Discourse: Systematic-narrative Hybrid Literature Review and Future Research Areas

As there is lack of a research synthesis on metaphor in tourism discourse up to date, the paper offers a novel contribution by summarising empirical literature on metaphor use in print and digital tourism promotional materials and identifying the existing research gaps. The review uncovers that figuration is largely underexplored in tourism promotion literature revealing only general functions and specific examples of metaphors. The paper also presents preliminary results from ongoing research on metaphor use in English e-promotional tourism discourse. Thereby, the paper provides new insights into metaphor as a multifaceted phenomenon integrating discursive, conceptual, and cultural elements and contributes to our understanding of the role of metaphor in cross-cultural communication.