Analysis of Hate Speeches as Metaphorical Cultural Stereotypes

This study examines hate speeches as metaphorical expressions used in the language of cultural stereotypes. It explores the language use in a Facebook status update of a subscriber and the conversation that ensued among the interlocutors of different ethnic nationalities in Nigeria. In the data analysis, the research finds out that the conversation which is supposed to be a political discourse turns out to be an emotionally-charged one, with all the interlocutors making derogatory statements against one another. The result shows that the kind of slur language that ensues is a reflection of the assumptions each interlocutor holds against the other on account of their different ethnic nationalities. It is discovered that sixteen (16) out of the twenty (21) statements in the status update are structural metaphors. The recurrence of structural metaphorical expressions indicates that there are feelings of disaffection in the society. This is because, as implied by Janda (16), the use of structural metaphor indicates strong feelings and conceptualization of the speaker about what is talked about.