METAPHORICAL MAPPINGS IN THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN LUKABARAS

Abstract

is genetically related to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome of 2003 and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome of 2012, has been perceived in various ways by different communities world over. Empirical evidence suggests that emerging issues such as pandemics can be manifested through metaphors, but their conceptualization vary both culturally and experientially over time. This study examined the metaphorical conceptualization of COVID-19 through conceptual mappings, vital relations and image schemas. As such, the study focused on how COVID-19 pandemic was unpacked in Lukabaras through metaphor. The study was guided by the following objectives: to identify and categorize the metaphors of COVID-19 pandemic through conceptual mappings as used in Lukabaras; to examine the extent to which vital relations account for the metaphorical mappings of COVID-19 pandemic in Lukabaras speakers and to describe the role of image schemas in the metaphorical mappings of COVID-19 pandemic in Lukabaras. The underpinning theories for the study were the Conceptual Integration Theory and the Image Schemas Theory. The Conceptual Integration Theory was beneficial to the analysis of objective one and two whereas the Image Schemas Theory was applied to objective three. The study used the descriptive research design. Multistage sampling technique was used, first, by purposively sampling three county assembly wards from the seven wards in Kakamega North Sub- County. The key participants from these wards thus constituted 36 purposively sampled respondents who were speakers of Lukabaras aged (30-39 years) and (above 60 years). Data was collected through Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussions and audio recording. The study used the Metaphor Identification Procedure to identify the conceptual metaphors. The data was then analyzed thematically in terms of different categories of the conceptual metaphors and presented in descriptive form and tables. The findings established that COVID-19 pandemic was conceptualized in Lukabaras through sources such as organisms, objects, events, actions, natural occurrences and states and conditions. The findings also revealed that most of the metaphors were manifested through Disanalogy vital relation and the CONTAINER image schema was the most prevalent in framing the metaphors. The study concluded that through some of the metaphors, the seriousness of the pandemic was trivialized whereas in other metaphors the pandemic was magnified. Consequently, the containment measures put in place to fight against the spread of the disease were compromised. These findings not only contribute to the existing literature in cognitive linguistics but also inform the relevant stakeholders on issues that affect health promotion and public health-related communication. The study also creates an opportunity for further research on community-based health strategies and risk communication that are attributed to language perspectives in times of pandemics.