A corpus-based study of corruption metaphors: the case of the Jordanian ‘Hirak’ protest movement

Figures & data

Table 1. Raw frequencies and percentages of the metaphorical expressions representing different source domains used in Al-Rai and Ad-dustour newspapers.

Source domain	Raw frequency (RF)	Percentage
Disease	893	61.20
organism	350	23.98
warfare	119	8.15
Nature	58	3.97
Supernatural creatures	15	1.02
Meal/kitchen	9	0.61
Machine	6	0.41
Fire	5	0.34
Journey	4	0.27
Total	1.459

Table 2. The sub-types of the disease source domain and their associated metaphorical linguistic expressions, and their raw frequencies (RFs).

Conceptual metaphor	Arabic metaphorical expression	English gloss	RF in AR	RF in AD	Total RF in both
corruption is a disease	(ʔal)marad	(the) disease	1	3	4
	(ʔal)muka:faħa	(the) combat	418	393	811
	(ʔal) ħumma	(the) fever	1	0	1
	(ʔad)da:ʔ	(the) disease	4	1	5
	(ʔat) tafaʃʃi	(the) outbreak	3	1	4
	(ʔal)ʔistiʃra:ʔ	(the) outbreak	0	5	5
	(ʔal)ʔistiʔsa:l	(the) eradication	1	2	3
	mustaʃri	rampant	4	8	12
	(ʔal)muʕa:laʤa	(the) treatment	5	5	10
	(ʔas)sarata:n	(the) cancer	0	4	4
	(ʔal)mala:rja	(the) malaria	3	0	3
	(ʔal)ʕamalijja (ʔal)ʤira:ħijja	(the) surgery	2	0	2
	(ʔal)mutala:zima	syndrome	0	1	1
	(ʔal)waram	(the) tumor	2	1	3
	(ʔal)ʕila:ʤ	(the) remedy	1	0	1
	(ʔad)dama:mil	(the) boils	1	0	1
	(ʔal)ʔifra:za:t	(the) secretions	0	1	1
corruption is an epidemic	(ʔal)waba:ʔ	(the) epidemic	3	14	17
	(ʔal)ʕadwa	(the) infection	0	2	3
	(ʔat)ta:ʕu:n	(the) plague	0	2	2
Total					893

Table 3. The sub-types of organism source domain and their associated metaphorical linguistic expressions, and their raw frequencies (RFs).

Conceptual metaphor	Arabic metaphorical word/expression	English gloss	RF in AR	RF in AD	Total RF in both
Corruption is a being	(ʔad)dafn	(the) burial	0	2	2
	(ʔal)muħa:kama	(the) trial	1	3	4
	jantaʕiʃ	revives	2	0	2
	ju:wlad	born	0	1	1
	(ʔal)ajdi	(the) hands	1	2	3
	tuħassin	immunize	1	0	1
	(ʔað)ðahir	(the) back	17	25	42
	(ʔal)jad	(the) hand	0	1	1
	(ʔal)ʔakta:f	(the) shoulders	1	0	1
	(ʔal)ʕumr	(the) age	16	38	54
	(ʔaʤ)ʤasad	(the) body	1	1	2
	jasi:r	walk	0	1	1
corruption is a weed	(ʔaʤ)dʒuðu:r	(the) roots	4	0	4
	ʔidʒtiθa:θ	eradication	13	12	25
	janmu	grow	0	3	3
	jazraʕ	plant (v.)	1	0	1
	(ʔal) ħasa:d	(the) harvest	0	2	2
	mutaʤaððir	deeply rooted	0	1	1
	ʔalaʃwa:k	(the) thorns	0	2	2
	(ʔaʃ)ʃaʤara	(the) tree	1	0	1
	sammana	fatten	1	0	1
	(ʔal) ħi:ta:n	(the) whales	8	12	20
	(ʔal)ʔa:fa	(the) pest	39	25	64
	(ʔal)bara:θin	(the) claws	1	2	3
	(ʔal)muta:rada	(the) chasing	1	2	3
	(ʔal)ʔaʕʃa:ʃ	(the) nests	1	3	4
	talʤum	rein in	0	1	1
	(ʔal)ʤara:d	(the) locusts	5	2	7
	(ʔal) xana:zi:r	(the) pigs	0	1	1
	(ʔas)su:s	(the) mites	6	9	15
	(ʔad)diba:ʕ	(the) hyenas	2	16	18
	janxur	gnaw	17	15	32
A corrupt person is an animal	(ʔal)ʔawka:r	(the) dens	1	1	2
	(ʔal)qirsh	(the) shark	0	6	6
	jataka:θar	breed	2	1	3
	(ʔad)di:da:n	(the) worms	0	1	1
	)ʔal (maxa:lib	(the) claws	0	1	1
	tafri:x	hatching	0	1	1
	(ʔal)ʤirða:n	(the) rats	5	2	7
	(ʔal)fiʔra:n	(the) mice	1	1	2
	(ʔazzawa:hif	(the) repitles	0	4	4
corruption is a microorganism	(ʔal)fajru:sa:t	(the) viruses	0	2	2
	(ʔal)bikti:rja	(the) bacteria	0	1	1
	(ʔat)tufajlijja:t	(the) parasites	0	1	1
Corrupt person is a microorganism	(ʔal)ʕawa:liq	(the) planktons	1	1	2
	(ʔal)ʕafan	(the) mold	3	0	3
	(ʔat)tufaylijji:n	(the) parasites	1	0	1
	(ʔat)taħa:lib	(the) algae	1	1	2
Total					350

Table 4. The sub-types of warfare source domain and their associated metaphorical linguistic expressions, and their raw frequencies (RFs).

Conceptual metaphor	Arabic word/expression	English gloss	RF in RA	RF in DA	Total RF in both
Corruption is an enemy	(ʔal)muħa:raba	(the) battling	189	114	303
	(ʔal)ʕaduw	(the)enemy	1	1	2
	juħa:rib	fight	8	10	18
corruption is war	(ʔal)ħarb	(the) war	34	38	72
corruption is a battle	(ʔal)maʕraka	(the) battle	15	10	25
corruption is an army	ʔidʒta:ħa	Invaded	1	1	2
Total					119

Table 5. The sub-types of the nature source domain and their associated metaphorical linguistic expressions, and their raw frequencies (RFs).

Conceptual metaphor	Arabic word/expression	English gloss	RF in AR	RF in AD	Total RF in both
corruption is an uncontrollable and unpredictable natural force	(ʔal)ʕa:sifa	(the) storm	0	3	3
	(ʔal)mawʤa	(the) wave	3	1	4
	(ʔal)burka:n	(the) volcano	1	0	1
	ʔattuwufa:n	(the) flood	0	1	1
	(ʔal)mawʤa	(the) wave	11	4	15
	(ʔal)hadi:r	(the) thunder	0	1	1
corruption is water	(ʔal)mansu:b	(the) level	2	1	3
	(ʔal)ʔinħisa:r	(the) receding	1	0	1
	(ʔaʃ)ʃawa:ʔib	(the) impurities	2	2	4
	(ʔal)mana:biʕ	(the) water sources	7	7	14
	taɣalɣala	penetrate	4	1	5
	(ʔat)tasarrub	(the) leakage	1	0	1
	(ʔat)taʤfi:f	(the) drying	1	0	1
	(ʔal) ħanafijja:t	(the) faucets	0	2	2
	(ʔal)mustanqaʕ	(the) swamp	0	2	2
Total					58

Table 6. The sub-types of supernatural creatures source domain and their associated metaphorical linguistic expressions, and their raw frequencies (RFs).

Conceptual metaphor	Arabic word/expression	English gloss	RF in RA	RF in AD	Total RF in both
corruption is a supernatural creature	(ʔaʃ)ʃabaħ	(the) ghost	2	1	3
	(ʔal)ɣu:l	(the) ogre	1	5	6
	ʔalʕanqa:ʔ	(the) phoenix	0	1	1
	(ʔal)waħʃ	(the) monster	0	5	5
Total					15

Table 7. The sub-types of meal/kitchen source domain and their associated metaphorical linguistic expressions, and their raw frequencies (RFs).

	Arabic word/expression	English gloss	RF in RA	RF in AD	Total RF in both
Corruption is food	(ʔal)wadʒba	(the) meal	0	2	2
	(ʔat)taʕm	(the) taste	0	1	1
	ʔarra:ʕiha	(the) smell	4	2	6
Total					9

Table 8. The sub-types of the machine source domain and their associated metaphorical linguistic expressions, and their raw frequencies (RFs).

Conceptual metaphor	Arabic word/expression	English gloss	RF in AR	RF in AD	Total RF in both
Corruption is a machine	(ʔal)ʔa:la	(the) machine	1	1	2
	(ʔal)ma:kina	(the) machine	0	1	2
	(ʔad)du:la:b	(the) wheel	2	0	2
Total					6

Table 9. The sub-types of the fire source domain and their associated metaphorical linguistic expressions, and their raw frequencies (RFs).

	Arabic word/expression	English gloss	RF in AR	RF In AD	Total RF in both
Corruption is fire	(ʔan)na:r	(the) fire	1	2	3
	(ʔal)luɣum	(the) shot	0	1	1
corruption is fuel	(ʔal)wuqu:d	(the) fuel	0	1	1
Total					5

Table 10. The sub-types of the fire source domain and their associated metaphorical linguistic expressions, and their raw frequencies (RFs).

	Arabic word/expression	English gloss	RF in RA	RF In AD	Total RF in both
combating corruption is a journey	(ʔal) xutwa:t	(the) steps	1	3	3
	(ʔal)masa:r	(the) path	0	1	1
Total					4

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, A.A., upon reasonable request.