Image Schemas in Metaphors of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Lukabaras

Abstract

This article describes the image schemas manifested in the metaphors of COVID-19 in Lukabaras, one of the varieties of the Luhya language spoken in western Kenya. The study is guided by the principles of Conceptual Integration Theory by Fauconnier and Turner (2002) and the Image Schemas Theory by Johnson (2005). The article relied on data collected through key informant interviews from 36 purposively sampled native speakers of Lukabaras in which 30 conceptual metaphors of COVID-19 were identified using the Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP). Through the metaphors that were identified, the findings show that there was the CONTAINER, PATH, FORCE, PART-WHOLE and OBJECT image schemas. However, the results reveal that the image schemas of COVID-19 pandemic as instantiated in metaphors such as COVID IS LIGHTNING (Covid no lweni) and COVID IS A DRIZZLE (Covid no lunyilili) hinderedthe interventions to prevent the spread of the disease. Consequently, containment measures including keeping social distance, handwashing, restricted movement and use of masks were flouted because the disease was taken for granted. The study recommends that there is need for stakeholders involved in health and risk communication to consider the emerging socio-cultural frames of new pandemics like COVID-19 when coming up with preventive strategies in order to enhance the fight against such disease outbreaks.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, conceptual metaphor, image schemas, Lukabaras