Exploring endearing metaphors among Swahili youths in Mombasa County, Kenya

Endearing metaphors are valuable for enriching communication and fostering closer and more meaningful relationships through the expression of affection and intimacy. Interpreting endearing metaphors can, however, be difficult due to their cultural distinctions and context-dependent meanings. Against this backdrop, this study employed the principle of conceptual mappings to analyze the endearing metaphors commonly used by the male Swahili youths in Mombasa County to woo their beloved. The research was anchored within a descriptive research design. Primary data was collected from four purposively sampled Swahili male youths through an interview schedule. The collected data were then subjected to the Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universitei (MIPVU) in which four annotators were used to identify endearing metaphors. Seven endearing metaphors that are commonly used by the Male Swahili youths in Mombasa County were identified through MIPVU. The endearing metaphors were then subjected to the principle of conceptual mappings to reveal their meaning. The paper reveals that young Swahili men in Mombasa County use endearing metaphors to express affection, admiration, and romantic interest in their beloved. They also use these metaphors to inspire a sense of connection and emotional intimacy while aiming at building a relationship based on care and mutual affection. The study concludes that endearing metaphors are useful communication tools, and should be interpreted within the Cognitive Linguistics framework.