Use of Conceptual Metaphors in Imran Khan and Narendra Modi's Political Speeches: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This research is based on a comparative study of metaphors in political discourse. For this purpose, Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) Critical Metaphor Theory (CMT) as a qualitative methodological ground and the quantitative method has been applied manually to five selected speeches of Imran Khan and Narendra Modi on the Kashmir issue after the military siege from 2019 till now. This study aims to explore the conceptual metaphors in the political speeches of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The main purpose of the study is to explore different types of conceptual metaphors like structural, ontological, and orientational that are used by these politicians to provide their thoughts, ideologies, and emotions on the said issue. This study provides new knowledge and guidance to understand the different metaphorical domains or structures in political discourse for future scholars.