Metaphor in the specialized language of pain

Abstract

This study aims to investigate terminological metaphors present in the language of pain within a context where two languages—Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish (specifically the Venezuelan variety)—intersect in a migratory setting. This situation involves Venezuelan migrants receiving medical care at healthcare services in Brasília/DF, Brazil. The research explores the intersection between general and specialized lexicons, observing that patients—particularly the migrant group under study—frequently employ a metaphorical lexicon to describe their pain and physical sensations. The theoretical framework is grounded in Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (1980, 1999) for metaphor analysis, and Sociocognitive Terminology Theory (STT) by Rita Temmerman (2000, 2004) for terminological analysis. Data collection was conducted through interviews and questionnaires administered to 13 Venezuelan migrants. The results revealed a significant incidence of metaphorical terms, especially adjectives and nouns used to describe pain. Examples include “dolor como latidos” (Spanish) / “dor latejante” (Portuguese) [throbbing pain] and “dolor como un latigazo” (Spanish) / “dor como chicotada” (Portuguese) [whiplash-like pain]. These findings demonstrate the centrality of such metaphors in how these individuals verbalize their experiences of pain in daily life. The analysis points to a direct correlation with the Ontological Metaphors of CMT, which facilitate the representation of complex bodily experiences through references to tangible objects and substances, demonstrating the centrality of these constructions in the verbalization of pain in everyday life.