Author’s name:
Svetlana Yu. Pavlina
Abstract:
The research examines the functioning of conventional idioms containing ethnonyms in mod-ern British public discourse, featuring the way they are employed in newspaper articles. Eth-nonyms are treated as nominations of ethnic communities that often represent some stereotyp-ical treatment of an out-group that may seem inappropriate from political correctness perspec-tive. The study is set in the critical discourse analysis framework and employs definitional and contextual analyses. The research shows that being incorporated in the semantic structure of figurative idioms ethnonyms can either connote some negative attitude or be devoid of any connotation. When used in media discourse the first type of idioms is involved in some play on their figurative and literal meanings, which creates the defeated expectancy effect. Instead of connoting some negative attitude to an ethnic group, they serve rhetorical purposes riveting and retaining the readers’ attention thus enhancing the perception of the author’s message. When non-connotative figurative idioms with embedded ethnonyms are used in the contexts, they undergo some transformations and develop new meanings. As a result the reference to a specific ethnic group becomes opaque. It is possible to conclude that the current usage of this group of figurative idioms is not affected by their “etymological memory”. The research shows that the employment of conventional idioms containing ethnonyms in media discourse is a powerful rhetorical tool which helps to affect the readers’ perception and convey the mes-sage in a laconic and expressive way without violating the rules of political correctness and inclusiveness.
| Section | LANGUAGE AND CULTURE |
| DOI: | 10.47388/2072-3490/lunn2021-55-3-84-98 |
| Downloads | 485 |
| Key words | ethnonym; media discourse; idiom; political correctness; ethnic stereotypes |