Metaphors of piercing, piercing-cutting, and chopping objects/tools in political discourse (based on German language material)

This paper focuses on the study of political metaphors in contemporary German political discourse. The aim of the research is to identify relevant metaphorical models of piercing, piercing-cutting, and chopping objects/tools in contemporary German political communication in order to understand their role in shaping political narratives and influencing public perception of current political processes. The article briefly examines definitions of the terms “political discourse”, “metaphor”, and “political metaphor” relevant in modern linguistics, which establishes a theoretical basis for analyzing their functions and characteristics in the context of political communication. The research is novel in that it is the first one to identify metaphorical models of piercing, piercing-cutting, and chopping objects/tools, which are used to describe strategies of political influence, political pressure, conflicts, and destabilization processes, as a result of analyzing practical material in the political discourse of Germany. The research revealed that in political discourse, metaphors associated with piercing, piercing-cutting, and chopping objects/tools differ in their semantic characteristics. Each of them performs a specific cognitive-speech function, contributing to a deeper understanding and interpretation of political conflicts and strategies.