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Article published In: Metaphor Variation in Englishes around the World
Edited by Marcus Callies and Alexander Onysko
[Cognitive Linguistic Studies 4:1] 2017
► pp. 110–130

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Cultural conceptualizations of gender and homosexuality in BrE, IndE, and NigE

 | University of Potsdam (Germany)
 | University of Potsdam (Germany)
Published online: 16 October 2017
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/cogls.4.1.06fin
Abstract
With the spread of English in many parts of the world, numerous local varieties have emerged, shaped by the sociocultural contexts in which they are embedded. Hence, although English is a unifying element, these varieties express different conceptualizations that are deeply rooted in culture. For the most part, these conceptualizations come in the form of conceptual metaphors, which not only influence our perception of the world (Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar), but also reveal cultural specifics of a particular society.
One of the latest approaches in the field of conceptual metaphor research suggests that conceptual metaphors are actually multimodal, i.e., that they are expressed not only in language, but also, e.g., in gestures, facial expressions, sounds or images ( (2009). Non-verbal and multimodal metaphor in a cognitivist framework: Agendas for research. In C. J. Forceville & E. Urios-Aparisi (Eds.), Multimodal metaphor (pp. 19–42). Berlin & New York: De Gruyter.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). Films are an ideal source of data for such multimodal metaphors.
In the form of a pilot study, this paper applies this novel approach to metaphor to the field of World Englishes. While adding to the range of research that has already used the methodological toolbox of Cognitive Linguistics or its cognate discipline Cultural Linguistics in the investigation of the cultural dimension of varieties of English (e.g., Kövecses, Z. (1995). American friendship and the scope of metaphor. Cognitive Linguistics, 6(4), 315–346. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Liu, D. (2002). Metaphor, culture, and world view. The case of American English and the Chinese language. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Malcolm, I., & Rochecouste, J. (2000). Event and story schemas in Australian Aboriginal English discourse. English World-Wide, 21(2), 261–289. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; (2006). A cultural-conceptual approach and world Englishes: The case of Aboriginal English. World Englishes, 25(1), 11–22. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; (2001). English in Cameroon. Berlin & New York: De Gruyter. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; (2009). World Englishes: A cognitive sociolinguistic approach. Berlin & New York: De Gruyter. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar), we provide a new exploratory angle to that investigation by using cinematic material for the analysis. Specifically, this study focuses on conceptualizations pertaining to the target domains woman and homosexuality. The data we have selected are from Great Britain, India and Nigeria, because these countries have important film industries, and British English, Indian English and Nigerian English constitute culturally distinct varieties.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Cognitive Sociolinguistics, Cultural Linguistics, and multimodal metaphors
  • 3.The scope of this paper
  • 4.Cultural conceptualizations of gender and homosexuality in British English, Indian English, and Nigerian English
    • 4.1 homosexuality is a disease (IndE)
    • 4.2 a woman is a witch (BrE and NigE)
    • 4.3 a woman is an object and the property of a man (IndE)
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
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