MODERN GERMAN POLITICAL METAPHORS

Abstract

The article is devoted to the genesis of metaphorical transference in the German political discourse, its source domains and target domains. The article analyzes the metaphor in political text, which is an integral component of the system of technologies for influencing the recipient's consciousness. Subject choice is determined by the communicative and pragmatic specificity of political discourse, its relation to political decisions in Germany and all over the world. Particularly important is the comprehensive study of the semantics of German political discourse, taking into account the extralinguistic and intralingual factors of its development in the light of socio-political events. The semantic changes that have taken place in the German political discourse in connection with the unification of Germany and its accession to the European Union are described. The place of metaphor in the system of political discourse linguistic systems is determined. It is established that in political communication, metaphor is not only a certain instrument of creation and cognition of reality, but also is characterized as an effective way of attracting attention, retaining attention and a means of ideological beliefs. The types of metaphors are identified, their functions are explained, and the stylistic coloring of the metaphor in the language of political discourse is analyzed. General conclusion of theoretical and methodological researches gives an explanation of metaphor phenomenon and suggests that the metaphor – is not only a trope, which is able to decorate speech and emphasize its emotional expressiveness, but also a specific way of cognition, arranging and exploration of the surrounding world. The theory of political metaphors differs from the general theory of metaphor, because it fulfill several different functions and metaphors are classified not only on the basis of formal features, but also on the substantive one, based on the separation of slots and frames, as integral parts of any political metaphors. It is also important to note that political metaphor is not only a tool that makes speech bright, breath-taking and catchy, but also serves as means of controlling the public mood and obtrusion of one’s own thoughts and beliefs.