Metaphorical representation of the COVID-19 pandemic in German mass Media texts

Abstract

The article analyzes the metaphor as the linguistic tool of representation of the coronavirus pandemic in German media discourse. The goal of this research is to reveal the peculiarities of the process of metaphorization in relation to the new and signifi cant factor of public life. The object of the study are metaphors used in the texts of the Spiegel Online informing about the pandemic. The material of the study is the corpus of 103 texts obtained using the method of continuous sampling. The theoretical and methodological basis of the present work is founded on the theory of metaphor modeling. The following system of methods is used: linguo-cultural, com-ponential, contextual and stylistic analysis. The research made it possible to conclude that metaphors are an important means of refl ecting the new knowledge about the pandemic situation. The pandemic theme is a popular object of metaphorization in the texts of contemporary German media. COVID-19 is represented as an active force, interacting and communicating with people, and leading in the said interaction. It is represented as an enemy; thereby the metaphors of fi ghting and war describe the opposition of the coronavirus and the humanity. The disease is also used as a source domain for metaphors representing various modern facts of importance. The research of the metaphorical component in the description of current pandemic situation can contribute to the comprehending the ways in which language helps to conceptualize the reality. Key words: metaphor, mass media, German mass media, pandemic, coronavirus, COVID-19.