Publications

Publication details [#19626847]

Publication type
Article in book  
Publication language
English

Abstract

Drawing on conceptual metaphor theory, this paper explores how nations as a social entity are understood in terms of the conceptual domain of fabric. An analysis of concordances from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) reveals how the nations as fabric metaphor highlights elements, concepts and practices that constitute and define nations and issues that have an impact on their identity. It also shows how this metaphor is employed for the construction of in-group and out-group identities and considers its potential role in shaping the perceptions of nations and their members. The analysis identifies metaphorical mappings between the two domains that have previously not been considered, adding to the existing research on the metaphorical representation of nations.