An Analysis of the Embodiment of Meaning in Persian Economic and Sports News Discourse: An Application of Mac Whinney’s Framework

Naghizadeh, Mahmood; Veysi, Elkhas; Pouyanifar, Maryam

doi:10.22059/jolr.2025.400397.666933

An Analysis of the Embodiment of Meaning in Persian Economic and Sports News Discourse: An Application of Mac Whinney’s Framework

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mahmood Naghizadeh ¹

Elkhas Veysi ²

Maryam Pouyanifar ³

¹ Assistant Professor of Linguistics, Department of Linguistics and Foreign Languages, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

² Associate Professor of Linguistics, Department of Linguistics and Foreign Languages, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

³ M. A Student of General Linguistics, Department of Linguistics and Foreign Languages, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22059/jolr.2025.400397.666933

Abstract

Meaning embodiment is a central construct in cognitive linguistics which, by rejecting the traditional mind–body dualism, posits that perception, meaning, and language are fundamentally grounded in lived bodily experience. In this view, linguistic structures are not merely abstract symbolic systems, but are deeply connected to sensorimotor processes and physical interactions with the environment. The present study investigates the manifestation of embodied meaning in Persian news discourse across two distinct domains—economics and sports. Drawing on Mac Whinney’s (1999) model, the study examines the role of perspective-taking elements, including affordances, spatial–temporal reference frames, causal chains, and social roles, in meaning construction. Adopting a qualitative design, data were collected from major Persian news outlets and analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings demonstrate that metaphorical expressions such as درو کردن طلا (“harvesting gold”) and تانک بختیاری (“Bakhtiari tank”), functioning as conceptual affordances, map abstract notions onto concrete sensorimotor experiences through cognitive simulation. Spatial–temporal reference frames such as پاریس (Paris), تا آخر هفته (by the end of the week), and امروز (today) facilitate semantic organization by activating motion- and location-based schemata. Causal chains—manifested in more intricate forms within economic discourse and in more straightforward forms in sports discourse—are represented through force and motion metaphors embedded in causal and conditional grammatical structures. These elements collectively sustain narrative coherence, mentally situate the reader within the described events, and enhance comprehension. Furthermore, the analysis shows that social roles and identities such as مربی (coach), باشگاه (club), and فدراسیون (federation) construct social perspectives, enabling readers to interpret power relations, responsibilities, and the positionality of actors in discourse. The study reaffirms that human cognitive systems, even when processing highly abstract concepts, operate fundamentally on the basis of bodily experience and physical interaction. By situating its findings within the broader framework of embodied meaning, this research contributes to expanding the scope of cognitive linguistic inquiry in the Persian linguistic and cultural context.

Keywords

embodiment of meaning

news discourse

economics

sports

Mac Whinney’s framework

Subjects

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