This article explores the transformative effect of digital media on metaphorical language practices, particularly among multilingual users who traverse multiple linguistic and cultural frameworks online

Аннотация

This article explores the transformative effect of digital media on metaphorical language practices, particularly among multilingual users who traverse multiple linguistic and cultural frameworks online. It outlines how social media platforms, online news outlets, and interactive comment sections serve as incubators for rapid, widespread metaphorical innovation. By analyzing posts, articles, and user interviews, the study demonstrates how speech interference can yield both confusion and creative linguistic blends. Meanwhile, speech facilitation emerges through intentional code-mixing that clarifies complex or culturally embedded concepts. The research underscores the collaborative nature of meaning-making in digital spaces, where users co-construct and remix metaphors, sometimes creating humor through unexpected literal translations. Ultimately, the findings have pedagogical and translational implications, emphasizing the need for educators and media professionals to remain vigilant about evolving metaphorical expressions and their cross-linguistic resonances. Keywords: digital media, metaphorical language, multilingual communication, speech interference, speech facilitation, online discourse, code- mixing, linguistic innovation