Hyponymic Relationships between Concepts in Economic Discourse

Authors

DOBIÁŠOVÁ Sarah

Year of publication 2020
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Hradec Králové Journal of Anglophone Studies
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Arts

Citation
web http://pdf.uhk.cz/hkjas/pi/pdf/vol7nr1_2020.pdf#page=46
Keywords figurative language; metaphor; metonymy; conceptual metaphor; Conceptual Mapping Model
Description The article investigates metaphor in contemporary economic texts, using Conceptual Mapping Model, designed by Ahrens (2010). The method, which has not been applied to English language material so far, has revealed that related source domains can in fact be employed to achieve different aims in actual texts. The texts for the analysis were selected from the magazines The Economist and Forbes/ Forbes India. It was concluded that two conceptual mappings were particularly predominant in the analysed texts: BUSINESS/COMPANY/ECONOMY/INDUSTRY IS A LIVING BEING and BUSINESS/COMPANY/ ECONOMY/INDUSTRY IS A HUMAN BEING. Although there is a relation of hyponymy between the two corresponding source domains, namely LIVING BEING and HUMAN BEING, each of the source domains seems to be employed differently in order to highlight or hide different aspects of the target concept. For example, the target domain HUMAN BEING tends to refer to active and influential entities, while the target domain LIVING BEING enhances the passive qualities of the participants.
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