A Comparative Analysis of Gender Differences in the Metaphorical Use of Cooking Techniques Terms in English: A Lexico-Grammatical Approach

Marietta Izdebska

doi:10.18290/rh257311.4s

Published : 2025-12-19

Vol. 73 No. 11 Zeszyt specjalny (2025)

A Comparative Analysis of Gender Differences in the Metaphorical Use of Cooking Techniques Terms in English: A Lexico-Grammatical Approach

Marietta Izdebska

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5312-5224

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/rh257311.4s

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to offer a comparative, corpus-based, frame-semantic and lexico-grammatical analysis of gender differences in the frequency of the metaphorical use of three cooking techniques terms: grill, stew and roast. The study reveals that men use metaphors drawn from the three concepts more frequently than women, whereas women are more likely to use them in a non-metaphorical context. The application of the frame-semantic and lexico-grammatical perspective has enabled us to provide a multi-aspectual description of metaphorical linguistic expressions. It is claimed that the differences in the frequency of the metaphorical use of the analysed terms can be accounted for with the sociolinguistic approach according to which language and the notion of gender are believed to be intrinsically interrelated. In view of the above, it is believed that women’s lexical choices are shaped by those aspects of their life which are stereotypically considered to be exclusively feminine.

Keywords:

conceptual metaphor, corpus BNC, grill, stew, roast, lexico-grammatical approach, frame semantics, cooking techniques, gender differences

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