LINGUIST List 19.1340
Mon Apr 21 2008
Diss: Disc Analysis/Text/Corpus Ling: Barrett: 'Extraordinary Rende...'
Editor for this issue: Evelyn Richter
<evelynlinguistlist.org>
1. Del
Barrett,
'Extraordinary Renderings' in the War on Terror: A corpus-based study of lexical items in the German-speaking press
Message 1: 'Extraordinary Renderings' in the War on Terror: A corpus-based study of lexical items in the German-speaking press
Date: 21-Apr-2008
From: Del Barrett <del.barrett1btinternet.com>
Subject: 'Extraordinary Renderings' in the War on Terror: A corpus-based study of lexical items in the German-speaking press
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Institution: King's College London
Program: Department of German
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 2008
Author: Del Amanda Barrett
Dissertation Title: "Extraordinary Renderings" in the War on Terror: A corpus-based study of lexical items in the German-speaking press
Linguistic Field(s):
Discourse Analysis
Text/Corpus Linguistics
Subject Language(s): German, Standard (deu)
Dissertation Director:
Christian Fandrych
David Yeandle
Dissertation Abstract:
The War on Terror has seen a number of new lexical items, for example, axisof evil, and a number of existing items that have undergone areorientation, for example, black sites. This study examines the way thatthese items are treated in the German-speaking press. The first part of thestudy details the construction of a forty-seven million word corpus takenfrom German and Austrian news publications covering the War on Terror, from11 September 2001 to 31 January 2006. The second part of the studyidentifies the different German renderings for a number of the expressionsin the White House discourse, and examines the reasons determining thechoice of lexical items. The methodology is partly based on conventionalcorpus interrogation methods, such as keyword and collocate analysis.Additionally the technique of 'frame-tracing' is introduced, whichdemonstrates how certain words combine to trigger an alternative framing ofthe War on Terror.
The study shows that attitudes towards the War on Terror, as demonstratedthrough the choice of rendering, move through three distinct phases. Thefirst, in the aftermath of the attacks on New York, shows solidarity withthe US. In phase II, whilst the language shows virtually full pragmaticalignment, the framing of events makes a mockery of the war in Iraq. Inphase III, the US discourse is dominated by euphemism and theGerman-speaking press makes no attempt to show alignment with the language.Indeed, it chooses evaluative lexical items that indicate rejection of theWhite House discourse. The events of this phase of the War on Terror areframed in terms that are redolent of Germany's past.
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