Metaphtonomies of Pain Conceptualized by Lubukusu Speakers in Doctor-Patient consultation

Abstract

This paper reports on the findings of a study that focused on the use of metaphtonomies of pain in Lubukusu and investigated the main attributions that are attached to patients’ expression of pain during doctor-patient consultation. Data of the study were drawn from Lubukusu patients’ pain metaphors that served as units of analysis. The Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP) was used to select the expressions. The data analysis focused on the representation of pain through the examination of the meanings. From the data collected, three categories of metaphtonomies of pain emerged. These were; Direct Metaphor Related Words based on the Sense of Touch or Tangibility, Direct Metaphor Related Words based on the sense of Abstractness or Intangibility, and metaphor-related words. Further, it was revealed that communication mismatches occur in instances where the consultation between a non-native doctor and Lubukusu-speaking patients involved metaphors of pain. Given this, there is a need for medical practitioners and stakeholders to engage language scholars on how to address the potential gaps in healthcare discourses.