Unterhaltungen russischer (L1) Ausgewanderter. Emblematische und metaphorische sprachliche Identitätssignale

Abstract

This paper argues for a new approach towards lingual utterances of identity in the theoretical framework of discourse linguistics. Human beeings describe themselves either by means of temporal attributes, which may change over time, either by means of existential attributes, which are aimed to express a core value of the resp. individuality. The difference between both attributes cannot be traced semantically but pragmatically: attributes of existence are always metaphorical. For example, the self-attribution as a teacher can be understood both as an emblematic, temporal attribute („I am a teacher during work-days or during my professional life”) or as a metaphorical self-description („I am born as a teacher, this is my unchanging nature”). Metaphorical selfdescription of individuality, if expressed in cultural or nationalist terms, makes a great part of the problems in intercultural communication. While every human beeing has a need for metaphorical self-description, especially in critical situations like intercultural experiences, it is helpful to point to the metaphorical character of those self-attributes. The paper shows how in oral communication the various temporal and metaphorical attributes show up in the way of speaking.