ON CORPUS STUDIES OF MILITARY METAPHORICAL EXPRESSIONS IN THE ENGLISH CYBER SECURITY DISCOURSE

The current paper investigates the metaphorical model “Cyberspace is a battle” within the discourse of cybersecurity, with a particular focus on the prevalence and function of military metaphors across both professional and popular contexts. Building upon existing literature that underscores the importance of metaphor in comprehending intricate domains such as cybersecurity, the study posits that metaphors fulfill distinct pragmatic functions depending on the discourse type, especially in contrasting professional and popular scientific texts. Utilizing a corpus-based methodology, the research analyzes a range of texts from NATO documents alongside popular scientific literature to systematically identify and categorize military metaphors. The study compiles four specialized corpora, revealing that military metaphors significantly permeate cybersecurity language. Terms such as “cyber attack” and “cyberspace operation” are frequently employed to articulate strategic concepts, thereby highlighting the metaphor's role in shaping discourse within the field.