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In:Thinking Politically: Cognitive linguistic insights into political discourse
Edited by Anastasios Vogiatzis
[Figurative Thought and Language 22] 2027
► pp. 87–111

Chapter 5
Metaphors of corruption in Maltese

A corpus-based analysis of terms and phrases

 | University of Malta
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
This paper examines the conceptual metaphors related to corruption in Maltese political discourse. It employs Conceptual Metaphor Theory to uncover the cross-domain mappings and entailments that structure societal perceptions of corruption. The corpus-based analysis identifies twelve conceptual metaphors, including corruption is a disease, corruption is dirt, and corruption is a network, which collectively depict corruption as a multi-layered system grounded in metaphorical mappings. The findings enhance our understanding of how language frames public interpretations of corruption and suggest that the metaphors employed in political discourse shape both perceptions of corruption and responses to it. By addressing a gap in the existing literature on conceptual metaphor research within small language communities, this study sheds light on the cognitive and cultural dynamics in the Maltese context.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Definition of corruption
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1Gap in the literature
  • 3.Data description and methodology
  • 4.Findings
    • 4.1corruption is a disease
    • 4.2corruption is a transaction
    • 4.3corruption is a network
    • 4.4corruption is a perceptual sense
    • 4.5corruption is dirt
    • 4.6corruption is low
    • 4.7corruption is concealment
    • 4.8corruption is crookedness
    • 4.9corruption is hunger
    • 4.10corruption is bodily movement
    • 4.11corruption is sexual intercourse
    • 4.12corruption is nature
  • 5.Conclusion
  • References
References (38)
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