Precedent name: from the source spheres “literature” and “cinema” in the target sphere “political discourse” (based on the material of the Spanish-language media)

Abstract

   The article is devoted to the consideration of the metaphorical use of precedent names from the source spheres “literature” and “cinema” in the political discourse of modern Spanish-language mass media. The names of heroes of ancient mythology, works of classical Spanish and foreign literature, including children’s literature, as well as movie characters, carriers of certain qualities and properties, are widely used as precedents. As a result of the study, the grounds for metaphorical transfer from the named source spheres to the target sphere are established. The function of precedent names is also revealed not only as actualizers of the precedent situation, but also as a means of characterization of political opponents in the sphere of political discourse in the context of the struggle of political forces for the possession, preservation and disposal of power. The modern political discourse of the Spanish-language media as an arena of political confrontation is characterized by intolerance, agonality, the “language of hostility” marking opponents as “alien” in the “friend”– “alien” binary opposition with the predominance of discrediting characterization of political opponents aimed at debunking claims to leadership of a politician, demonstrating his incompetence and hanging labels. In the context of the language game, precedent names are used as a metaphorical definition of the names of current politicians. For characterization, precedent names are taken with both negative and positive connotations, but imparting a negative connotation to the object of characterization due to the emerging phenomenon of enantiosemia when using them as a metaphorical definition of proper names. Thanks to the atmosphere of the language game created in journalistic texts by means of well-known precedent names from works of mass culture, through the game connection of the name of a politician with the precedent name of a characteristic hero, such texts acquire the property of information and entertainment journalism, they implement the pragmatic function of precedent names aimed at manipulating the addressee, at encouraging him to act for the purposes of one political actor or another, and a sign of political technologies is revealed with full evidence of the author’s intentions.