Limits of Metaphorical Play on Reddit

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Granice metaforičke igre na Redditu
• Author: Viktor Slamnig
• Mentor: Mateusz-Milan Stanojević (mentor)
• Committee member: Janja Čulig (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Marina Grubišić (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of English language and literature); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2022-01-17, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology; Anglistics

Abstract

This paper explores metaphorical play, or, the creation and development of spontaneous linguistic metaphorical expressions. Emphasis is put on the limits of metaphorical productivity in this type of activity. The qualitatively studied examples were taken from the comment sections of Reddit. Metaphorical expressions that mark the endings of metaphorical plays based on new metaphors created by users of Reddit are explored. After a theoretical discussion on conceptual metaphor theory, the community of practice framework and a theoretical background on metaphors and humor, three posts from Reddit are explored. The comment sections include metaphorical games with sequences of comments where spontaneous metaphorical expressions are created over a period of time. After a certain number of replies, no more metaphorical expressions are created. Replies at the end of these sequences of replies are the focus of this paper, showing the reasons for the cessation of metaphorical plays. The results have shown two primary reasons for the ending of metaphorical plays. The first reason was that the knowledge required to develop these new metaphors became too specific. The second reason was that rules of behavior on the platform, that is, Reddit, formed the sequence and the ending of metaphorical play. The research was limited by the format of Reddit's comment sections and the nature of discussions on Reddit.

Abstract (croatian)

Rad istražuje metaforičku igru - stvaranje i razvoj spontanih metaforičkih izraza. Fokus rada je na granicama metaforičke produktivnosti u metaforičkim igrama. Rad se sastoji od kvalitativne analize komentara na Redditu. Istražuju se metaforički izrazi koji označavaju kraj metaforičkih igara temeljenih na novim metaforama. Nakon pregleda suvremene teorije vezane uz konceptualnu metaforu, zajednicu prakse i poveznicu metafore i humora, obrađuju se tri primjera s Reddita. Slijedovi komentara sadržavaju metaforičku igru gdje se kroz vrijeme članovi "igraju" novim metaforičkim izrazima. Nakon određenog broja odgovora na početnu metaforu, metaforička igra prestaje. Posljednji komentari u tim sljedovima komentara su fokus rada, te se prema njima interpretiraju razlozi za prestanak metaforičke igre. Rezultati su pokazali dva glavna razloga prestanka metaforičkih igara. Prvi razlog je bila činjenica da je za daljnji razvitak metafore bilo potrebno preodređeno znanje. Uz to, karakteristični obrasci ponašanja i priroda rasprava na Redditu oblikovali su poželjni i nepoželjni slijed metaforičke igre te uvjetovali njen kraj. Istraživanje je bilo ograničeno formatom komentara na Redditu te prirodom ponašanja Redditove zajednice.

• Keywords: Reddit; metaphorical play; metaphor; new metaphors
• Keywords (croatian): Reddit; metaforička igra; metafora; nove metafore.
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:432394
• Study programme: Title: English Language and Literature (double major); specializations in: Linguistics, Literature and Culture, Translation, TEFL; Course: Linguistics; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti (magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2022-01-24 13:12:45