DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2706-6185/53/47-51
Fatima Valiyeva
Baku Slavic University
PhD in Philology
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7081-5374
veliyeva.veliyeva2018@mail.ru
Conceptual Metaphor Variation in English and Azerbaijani Aphorisms: Traditional vs. Digital Contexts
Abstract
This paper investigates the evolution of conceptual metaphors in English and Azerbaijani aphorisms, contrasting traditional expressions with their digital adaptations. Grounded in Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), the study examines how metaphors such as “Life is a journey” and “Time is money” are recontextualized in online discourse. The analysis compares 100 aphorisms (50 traditional and 50 digital) from English and Azerbaijani sources, focusing on metaphorical structure, cultural embodiment, linguistic creativity, and communicative function. Findings reveal that English aphorisms tend to emphasize individualism, efficiency, and humor, whereas Azerbaijani aphorisms prioritize collectivism, morality, and social harmony. In digital environments, both languages display metaphorical hybridization—traditional wisdom reshaped through digital irony, meme culture, and brevity. The study argues that digital communication not only reshapes metaphorical cognition but also reinforces underlying cultural schemata through new modes of expression. Overall, the research contributes to cross-cultural metaphor studies, translation theory, and intercultural communication by revealing how conceptual mappings evolve dynamically across linguistic, cultural, and technological boundaries.
Keywords: aphorism, cognitive linguistics, cultural identity, digital discourse, proverb, wisdom