Before I Start Speaking, I Would Like to Say Something: Malapropisms
Sofia University Journal of Contrastive Linguistics, 2, 2012
Posted: 17 Jun 2012 Last revised: 30 Oct 2019
Date Written: June 14, 2012
Abstract
The paper aims to draw attention to and discuss the ‘underrated’ phenomenon of malapropisms. It offers two perspectives on them – a linguistic/pragmatic approach and a cognitive one – and argues in favour of the cognitive viewpoint. The results and conclusions draw on an extensive corpus of malapropisms in English and Bulgarian.
Coined after Sheridan’s character Mrs. Malaprop from the play ‘The Rivals’, a malapropism is considered to be ‘an accidentally inappropriate choice, omission, or alteration of words’ or ‘the misuse of similar sounding words, especially with humorous results’ (Wikipedia). Malapropisms include instances of the so-called ‘spoonerisms’ named after The Reverend William Archibald Spooner, who would shift words or parts of words from one part of the sentence to another to achieve humorous effect. He is best known for saying: ‘It is kisstomary to cuss the bride’ after pronouncing a couple ‘man and wife’.
Also included are inappropriate uses of metaphors occurring with the highest frequency among sports commentators and politicians, when in a quick search for original and breath-taking expressions to impress the audience. A traditional example is the one of a U.S. senator saying ‘… and that is a horse of different feather.’
Keywords: malapropisms, language bloopers, cognitive, pragamtics
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