Comparative Linguistic Research

Comparative Linguistic Research

Wellerism as a Discourse Construction: Between Humor, Irony, and Ideology

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
mehdi damaliamiri 1
Mostafa ASSI 2
SIAVASH MORADI 3
1 institute for humanities and cultural studies
2 INSTITUTE FOR HUMANITIES AND CULTURAL STUDIES
3 fARSI LITERATURE , hAMEDAN, iSLAMIC aZAD UNIVERSITY, iRAN
10.22084/rjhll.2026.31462.2400
Abstract
Wellerism, as a multipart linguistic construction—including quotation, speaker identification, and consequence—plays a key role in producing ironic meanings, bitter humor, and social critique. This article, combining a discourse-oriented grammar and critical discourse analysis, outlines Wellerism’s value–feature–matrix structure and examines both classical and contemporary Persian examples. Findings show that Wellerism is not merely a stylistic pattern but a tool connecting individuals, culture, and ideology, highlighting features such as implicit anchoring, polyphony, and negotiable responsibility. Contextual analysis further reveals that Wellerism can convey subtle critique while enabling the outsourcing of discursive responsibility. This construction, appearing in literary texts and everyday speech—from brief conversational jokes to complex narrative irony—captures social and ideological positions. Future typological research could clarify its scope and the influence of social change on Wellerism’s formation.
Keywords
Wellerism
discourse grammar
implicit anchoring
value–feature matrix
critical discourse analysis
Subjects