Meaning of zoosemy | Babel Free

Definitions

The metaphorical use of animal names or animal-related terms to denote human qualities, e.g. chicken, sly fox, mother hen etc. as epithets for human individuals.

uncountable

Examples

“It must be emphasised that in this case the working of the mechanism of zoosemy was so intense that already in the first half of the 16th century — in disparaging use — mongrel started to be used in the sense 'the offspring of parents of different nationalities or of high and low birth' (1542>1898).”

“Migration is another aspect of social relations wherein zoosemy seems to have a notable presence, since animal metaphors can be an effective discursive strategy of othering, denigration and, in extreme cases, even dehumanization.”

CEFR level