Figurative Framing, Discourse Shaping, and Conceptualization of Concepts Relating to Cancer Disease: A Cognitive Approach

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohammad Reza Pahlavannezhad ¹

Setareh Mojahedi Rezaeian ²

¹ Professor of Linguistics, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

² PhD Candidate of Cognitive Linguistics, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

10.22067/jlkd.2025.93971.1331

Abstract

Framing, as an effective conceptualization method, plays an important role in representing and shaping concepts and communicating information at the level of discourse. Through two processes of selection and prominence, framing can guide the flow of information relating to the central and challenging social issues. This matter is accomplished by linguistic devices and reasoning devices of framing. Accordingly, following Burgers et al.’s (2016) Complex Figurative Framing Model, this study tried to investigate the linguistic devices of framing, including metaphor, hyperbole, irony and their combination and also reasoning of framing and how the frames are shaped based on the conceptualization of the concepts related to cancer disease, published in the online Persian texts. The findings indicated that, in the process of framing, for shaping the conceptualization of the concepts related to cancer disease, linguistic devices including metaphor, hyperbole, irony, and their combination can be applied for the selection and prominence of certain concepts. Among these, metaphor was applied significantly more than other framing devices and the metaphor of "Cancer Is Path" was dominant. Furthermore, the use of complex devices was observed in the discourse of the articles. Consequently, it seems complex figurative framing can be used as a device in shaping and accomplishing conceptualization and discourse purposes.

Keywords

Complex Figurative Framing

Discourse

Metaphor

Hyperbole

Irony

Cancer Disease

Subjects

• Semantics

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