Metaphors and corpus methodology

Description

Corpus linguistics has become part and parcel of cognitive-linguistic research as one of the most widely used empirical methodologies applied in the study of actual language use. Moreover, corpus methodologies have seen use in variationist studies in socliolinguistics. A range of analytical techniques, from simple corpus searches to complex statistical models, have been applied in the study of metaphor, and several more have the potential to be useful tools in gaining insight into the workings of metaphors in actual discourse and the underlying conceptual structures. Thus, it seems, corpus-linguistic methodology can be very useful in addressing linguistic and conceptual variation in metaphors across varieties of English. In this talk, we will discuss a range of (potentially) useful corpus-analytical techniques to cognitive linguists with an interest in metaphor variation within, and beyond, World Englishes. In addition to discussing the techniques themselves, we will address their alignment with principles from corpus linguistics, such as corpus-based vs. corpus-driven approaches and total accountability as well as more theoretical principles from the cognitive-linguistic study of variation, such as for example onomasiology and semasiology. It is hoped that this talk will, inspire the audience to not only consider relevant application of corpus-linguistic methodology in the cognitive-linguistic study of metaphor, but also to critically assess such methods against the backdrop of theoretical and practical considerations.

Period	25 Feb 2025 → 26 Feb 2025
Event title	International Symposium on Metaphor in Englishes around the World
Event type	Conference
Conference number	5
Location	Bremen, Germany, BremenShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International