The Language of Emotions: A Study on Metaphors and Semantic Fields in Venezuelan Migrant Women´s Discourse

More than 7.3 million Venezuelans have left theircountry since 2014 (UNHCR, 2023). In some SouthAmerican countries, more than 50% of Venezuelanmigrants are women and girls who are vulnerable toviolence in their host communities. This article exploresthe connections between violence, forced migrationand language expressing emotions that derive from thatexperience. The main corpus is Venezuelan migrantwomen’s testimonials. The scope of the analysis isbased on generative metaphors and semantic fieldstheories. Testimonials were classified in three maintypes: testimonials that revolve around the semanticfield of warfare and survival; testimonials that expressotherness; and testimonials about sexualization anddehumanization. All of the types showed metaphors(or the expression) of war. The conclusion is thathardship and trauma have molded these women’s viewof the world so they now understand it as a battlefield.