This interdisciplinary conference aims to explore the intricate and multifaceted roles that metaphors play in specialized forms of discourse, encompassing scientific, technical, medical, legal, business, media, and political communication, across diverse cultural contexts.

As claimed by Semino (2008), metaphors are varied in their textual appearance, versatile in the functions they may perform, and central to many different types of communication, from informal interaction to political speeches. In this regard, Kövecses’ research (2005; 2008) on universality and variation in the use of metaphor has raised the question of whether and to what extent metaphorical thinking can contribute to the understanding of culture and society, and whether cognitive theories can account for both the universality and cultural specificity of metaphorical conceptualisation.

The conference will contribute to these themes by exploring metaphors as devices for understanding specialised fields of knowledge and research from various perspectives. Hence, we particularly welcome proposals focusing on new insights regarding how metaphors in specialized discourse vary across different languages and what these differences reveal about cultural cognition. Furthermore, we aim at understanding how metaphors facilitate complex specialized concepts and drive innovation and how cultural values and norms shape metaphor usage and interpretation in specialized discourse

Plenary speakers:
Zsofia Demien (UCL)
Maria Luque Olalla Colmenero (Universidad de Granada)
Zoltán Kövecses (Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest)
Michele Prandi (University of Genova)
Gerard Steen (Amsterdam University)
Günter Schmale (Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3)
Irma Taavistainen (University of Helsinki)

Sponsored by the Italian Association for the Study of English - AIA

For further information: CERLIS2025