Comparative Linguistic Research

Comparative Linguistic Research

A Cultural and Metaphorical Conceptualization of “ʔāberu” (Honor) in Persian: From Everyday Interactions to Social Media

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
Masoud Dehghan
Associate Professor, Department of English and Linguistics, Faculty of Language and Literature, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran.
10.22084/rjhll.2025.31549.2406
Abstract
This study investigated the cultural and metaphorical conceptualization of /ʔabru/ (social honor/reputation) in Persian and its representation in everyday speech and social media platforms, specifically Instagram and Twitter. The theoretical framework is grounded in Cultural Linguistics, focusing on the cultural and systematic meaning of /ʔabru/ in Persian discourse. The methodological nature of this qualitative study was descriptive-analytical, with data collected from everyday conversations of Persian speakers as well as user posts and comments on social media. Findings indicated that /ʔabru/ is a multi-faceted and multi-layered concept that plays a central role in both individual and collective interactions. Normative boundaries are particularly salient in everyday speech, social capital is active in close interpersonal relationships, and collective reputation is manifested in social media contexts. Furthermore, the representation of /ʔabru/ in digital space reflected the persistence of cultural values and norms, with language serving as primary medium for conveying and reproducing these concepts.
Keywords
cultural linguistics
conceptualization
social media
ʔabru
Persian language
Subjects