In:Evaluative Discourse Metaphor in Online Communities
Mateusz-Milan Stanojević and Ljiljana Šarić
[Discourse Approaches to Politics, Society and Culture 106] 2025
► pp. v–viii
Table of contents
AcknowledgementsIX
List of tablesXI
List of figuresXIII
Chapter 1.Introduction1
1.1Introduction1
1.2The evaluative discourse metaphor model3
1.3Why EDM and its theoretical sources6
1.4Material used8
1.5Overview of the book9
Chapter 2.Metaphor and evaluation in discourse11
2.1Introduction11
2.2Evaluation11
2.2.1Values and evaluation in linguistics and beyond11
2.2.2Targets of evaluation, polarity, and explicitness14
2.2.3Investigating evaluations in language material15
2.2.4Evaluation, stance, and attitude16
2.2.5Situatedness of evaluation17
2.2.6Evaluation in the appraisal framework18
2.2.7Du Bois’s approach to evaluation and stance20
2.3Metaphors in discourse22
2.3.1Conceptual and discursive approaches to metaphor and deliberateness22
2.3.2Metaphor as a framing device26
2.3.3Ideational, interpersonal, and textual metafunction29
2.3.4Metaphors, genre, and register32
2.3.5Patterns of metaphors in discourse: Clusters, chains, and triggers34
2.3.6Conclusion: Metaphors in discourse42
2.4The evaluative function of metaphors in discourse42
2.4.1Evaluative metaphor: Theories and terminology44
2.4.2Where does evaluation in evaluative metaphors come from?46
2.4.3Metaphor and evaluation from a communicative point of view: Indirectness and negative evaluation53
2.4.4Evaluative metaphors, discourse genres, and registers56
2.5Conclusion: Is evaluation a separate function of metaphors?58
Chapter 3.Online discourse, evaluation, and communities60
3.1Introduction60
3.2Affordances and features of CMC technology61
3.2.1(A)synchronicity62
3.2.2Persistence, editability and content control63
3.2.3Visibility63
3.2.4Publicness64
3.2.5Anonymity65
3.2.6Affordances and digital genres67
3.3Online communities, evaluation, and community-building discursive practices68
3.3.1Online communities: Emergent practices and negotiation68
3.3.2Affinity spaces and emotional styles
as community-building factors70
as community-building factors70
3.3.3Emotions bringing communities together71
3.3.4Evaluative practices, dialogicity and communities72
3.3.5Discursive practices in community building74
3.3.6Discussion: What brings communities together77
3.4Implications for metaphor use in digital discourse78
3.5Conclusion80
Chapter 4.An overview of the EDM model and methodology82
4.1Introduction82
4.2Sources82
4.2.1Newspaper articles, political columns, and user comments83
4.2.2Facebook posts and comments91
4.2.3Forum discussions93
4.2.4Ethical considerations95
4.2.5Recapitulation96
4.3Identification of evaluative metaphors97
4.3.1Metaphor identification98
4.3.2Annotating evaluation: Focus on the positive/negative pole100
4.3.3Grouping evaluative metaphors: Focus on resonance102
4.4The EDM model in brief105
Chapter 5.Single evaluative metaphors107
5.1Introduction107
5.2Evaluative metaphors in political discourse109
5.2.1Shared knowledge in political discourse: Stereotyping “the other”109
5.2.2Newspaper articles113
5.2.3Newspaper columns115
5.2.4User comments120
5.2.5Facebook comments123
5.2.6The influence of the initial text and public discourse
on evaluative metaphors in comments127
on evaluative metaphors in comments127
5.3Evaluative metaphors in forum discourse dealing with personal and interpersonal topics129
5.3.1Chat threads129
5.3.2Threads with a specific topic133
5.3.3Recapitulation136
5.4Discussion: Evaluative metaphors across discourse types136
Chapter 6.Metaphorical complexes and building resonances139
6.1Introduction139
6.2Metaphorical complexes: An example140
6.3An overview of metaphorical complexes in the data143
6.4Metaphorical complexes: Internal structure147
6.5Metaphorical complexes in political user comments across
platforms149
6.5.1The obračun ‘clash’ complexes from 2014149
6.5.2Political disputes in 2021: Background and triggers158
6.5.3Longer complexes in political user comments across platforms: Conclusion175
6.6Metaphorical complexes within platforms176
6.6.1Longer complexes: Pucanje/upucati se u nogu
‘shooting/shoot in the foot’177
6.6.2Shorter complexes181
6.6.3Within-platform complexes: Conclusion183
6.7Metaphorical complexes in forum discourse related to personal and interpersonal topics184
6.7.1Potential bondicons: Nuklearna ljubav ‘nuclear love’ and gutanje govana ‘swallowing
shit’185
6.7.2Playful metaphorical evaluations191
6.7.3Playful complexes194
6.8Discussion: Metaphorical complexes in political and forum discourse dealing with
personal and interpersonal topics195
Chapter 7.Building communities through metaphorical play and metaphorical chains197
7.1Introduction197
7.2Example and definitions of metaphorical play197
7.3How metaphorical play varies199
7.4Metaphorical play in user comments in political discourse200
7.5Metaphorical play in forum discourse dealing with personal and interpersonal topics203
7.6Metaphorical chains205
7.6.1Analysis of the metaphorical chain in ForumPS207
7.6.2Features of metaphorical chains216
7.6.3Is metaphorical chaining a one-off occurrence?221
7.7Play frames, metaphors, and evaluation across discourses224
7.8Conclusion228
Chapter 8.Conclusion, extensions and theoretical discussions230
8.1Introduction230
8.2How evaluative metaphors work in discourse: An overview231
8.3Situating evaluative discourse metaphor into the broader theoretical context233
8.4Situating specific notions from evaluative discourse metaphor236
8.5Evaluative discourse metaphors in other discourse types238
8.6Extensions: Beyond metaphor242
8.6.1Thematic complexes243
8.6.2Elitni turizam ‘elite tourism’ — a figurative
complex based on irony246
8.6.3Chaining beyond metaphor248
8.7Conclusion: Evaluative metaphors and beyond255
References256
Index
