Journal Paper Published

Abstract

This paper examines the diachronic evolution of ELECTION metaphors in Hong Kong public discourse, highlighting how institutional communication and language change intersect within a localized variety of English. Integrating cognitive linguistics, communication science, and the world Englishes paradigm, this study proposes a three-dimensional metaphorical framing analysis to track changes at the conceptual, linguistic, and communicative levels. Drawing on a corpus of public speeches by senior Hong Kong officials from 1997 to 2024, the analysis reveals a predominant reliance on the JOURNEY metaphor to communicate complex election policies to the public. However, the communicative focus of this metaphor has shifted over time, reflecting broader social and linguistic adaptations. While discourse in the first decade (1997–2007) heavily emphasized the destination of the journey (framing universal suffrage as an endpoint), subsequent periods (2008–2024) shifted toward process-oriented frames that highlight gradual progress and the navigation of a long-term path. We argue that this discursive shift illustrates how Hong Kong English functions as a dynamic communicative tool, adapting its cultural conceptualizations to manage public expectations, articulate policy gradualism, and foster social stability. Theoretically, this study bridges communication science and world Englishes by demonstrating that metaphorical frames are dynamic features of localized language varieties. The findings show how figurative language change operates as a strategic meaning-making resource in a unique bilingual governance context while establishing a baseline for future cross-variety comparisons across Outer Circle English varieties.

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