Framing metaphor use over time: 'Free Economy' metaphors in Hong Kong political discourse (1997-2017)

Abstract

Diachronic studies on metaphor use in public discourse have primarily focused on Inner Circle English and European languages. However, the usage patterns of specific metaphorical frames over time is universal or cultural-specific remains underexplored. This article investigates the diachronic changes of economic metaphors focusing on the concept of FREE ECONOMY in a corpus of Hong Kong political discourse spanning two decades (1997-2017). We analysed fundamental changes (transformations of source domains) and incremental changes (transformations of source-target mapping principles) in FREE ECONOMY metaphors. Given the complex socio-historical background of Hong Kong, this study provides a distinct East-West perspective on diachronic economic metaphor use in an Outer Circle English context.