Comparison of the metaphorical and concrete uses of the word hold across genders
Abstract
The way we use language can provide insight into many social issues, including how gender is conceptualized in society. This study examines the metaphoric usage of the word hold with gender pronouns to uncover patterns of gender representation. Using a 100-million word corpus, this analysis reveals that women are more often portrayed as being held, while men are frequently depicted as holding objects, ideas and women. These findings and others shed light on the conceptualization of gender embedded in language usage that could influence how we perceive and understand gender roles in society.
Keywords: corpus linguistics, gender and language, corpus analysis
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