Anglicisms in the field of computer science: the terminological metaphor

The terminology of computer science fosters the emergence of Anglicisms, due to the dominant role of the English language in computing and the internet. These terms are not merely borrowed but are often adapted and metaphorically transformed. Metaphorization involves the transfer of meaning from the concrete to the abstract, thus facilitating the understanding of technical concepts. In cognitive linguistics, metaphor serves both cognitive and structural functions, helping to organize the reality. In terminology, metaphors generate new conceptual frameworks. These can be either structural or orientational, depending on the type of conceptual analogy involved. Orientational metaphors rely on fundamental spatial oppositions and universal physical experiences. This article proposes an analysis of Anglicisms such as driver, spam, trolling, etc., which are part of computer science terminology, examined through the lens of metaphorization and categorized according to "spatiality," following the classification proposed by Lakoff et al.