Conceptual Metaphorisation through Precedent-Related Phenomena in Media Discourse

Abstract

This article investigates the role of precedent-related phenomena as a type of intertextuality in conceptual metaphorisation in media discourse. This study examines the place of precedent-related phenomena within the general theory of intertextuality, establishing their characteristics and how they can be differentiated from other types of intertextuality, and also provides a general overview of existing theories that aim to describe how precedent-related phenomena function. Drawing on magazine articles, the study analyses two sets of examples: a) single references, and b) recurring references to one source domain through various precedent-related phenomena. In the second set of examples, the differential characteristics and attributes that are common for the references are outlined in order to formulate a hypothetical name for the source domain that would be shared by its constituents. The article concludes by discussing what potential cognitive effect such conceptual metaphors could have on the recipient of a media text, especially when the precedent-related phenomena that refer to them are placed in the dominant positions of the text (such as the heading, the subheading, or the concluding sentence).