A Conceptual Mapping of Metaphors in a Nollywood Film - Ẹ̀lúkú Ìràwọ̀
Date
2019
Authors
Sobola, E
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Linguistic, African and Asian Studies, University of Lagos
Abstract
Film is one of the effective tools used in communicating cultures through language use in a speech community, and such language is enriched with metaphorical expressions. The use of language in film is a reflection of language as it is used in real human society. Nigerian films make use of language filled with metaphorical expressions. This paper examines the use of metaphors in Ẹ̀lúkú Ìràwọ̀ (Ẹ̀lúkú the star), a contemporary Nigerian film produced in Yoruba and subtitled in English. The paper utilized the Conceptual Metaphor Theory as propounded by Lakoff and Johnson for the study of metaphor in everyday language to examine the analytical mapping of metaphors in the film. The study reveals the beauty of language use in the film and makes the creative work aesthetically satisfying by showing understanding of one conceptual domain in terms of another. It also shows that there is metaphor in our everyday language as portrayed in the film, and that metaphor is rightly situated in the appropriate context of language use with cultural expressions. The paper concludes that metaphors and especially conceptual metaphors are veritable cultural tools that enrich language use, spur artistic productions and aid aesthetic satisfaction.
Description
Keywords
metaphor, language, film, Nollywood, conceptual mapping