Values behind Metaphors

Abstract

This study is a values-driven approach to figures of speech, depicting language and its standardisation. We explore a discourse about the modernisation of linguistic norms that took place in Estonian public media in 2020–2022 and reached the point of being labelled a crisis. The debate took place mostly in the form of opinion-writing texts, expressing the writers’ subjective perspectives. During the discussions, two parties with different outlooks on language and language planning issues emerged, representing the dichotomy of liberal and conservative value models. The focus of the study is on the interplay between values and patterns of figurative thought, as metaphors were extensively used to strengthen the arguments of both sides. The analysis, based on the theoretical-methodological means of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory, Figurative Framing, Metaphor Scenario Analysis, Systemic Functional Linguistics and Critical Discourse Analysis, revealed that the opposing parties favoured certain metaphors when depicting language. As a side issue, we also address the dynamics of power relations through the language crisis discourse.