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Title CONCEPTUAL METAPHORS IN LEGAL DISCOURSE: A CORPUS-BASED ANALYSIS OF THE COURT JUDGMENTS IN PAKISTAN

Author(s) Wisal Ahmad

Abstract This study explores the frequency and types of metaphors in the legal discourse in Pakistan. For this purpose, a specialized corpus, Corpus of Legal Discourse in Pakistan (COLD), was built from the selected judgements of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Subsequently, COLD was analyzed for metaphor identification using a combination of techniques including those applied by Charteris-Black (2004), MIP (Metaphor Identification Procedure) by Pragglejaz Group (2007) and MIPVU (a modified version of MIP developed at Vrije Universiteit) by Steen et al., (2010). The method involved both quantitative and qualitative analyses to determine the frequency, types and role of metaphors in COLD. The study found that 13.60% of the corpus consisted of metaphors with prepositions making the dominant word class of all metaphorically used words, followed by verbs and then nouns. The prominent source domains identified in the corpus included physical objects, space, humans and journey, along with several other minor domains. It was observed that metaphors have been used to perform communicative, persuasive and ideological roles in the corpus, by not only communicating the abstract and unfamiliar concepts in familiar and concrete terms, but also by serving the ideological purpose of convincing the audience about the objectivity and impartiality of the judicial system in dispensing justice and establishing the superiority and dominance of law and its associated institutions. Several of the findings of the study were found consistent with previous studies on the topic. The study also found a large number of further instances of Complex System Metaphors and Event Structure Metaphors from the domain of legal discourse in the context of Pakistan.

Type Thesis/Dissertation PhD

Faculty Languages

Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2024-05-02

Subject PhD English Linguistics

Publisher Department of English (GS)

Contributor(s) Dr. Jamil Asghar Jami

Format As per departmental guidelines

Identifier Dr. Muhammad Haseeb Nasir (PhD English Program Coordinator)

Source

Relation

Coverage

Rights