The Language of Memes: Patterns of Meaning Across Image and Text

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Barbara Dancygier (University of British Columbia, Vancouver) Lieven Vandelanotte (University of Namur, Belgium)

The Language of Memes

Patterns of Meaning Across Image and Text

Barbara Dancygier (University of British Columbia, Vancouver), Lieven Vandelanotte (University of Namur, Belgium)

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English

Cambridge University Press
11 September 2025

Psycholinguistics; Semantics; Communication studies; Media studies

Internet memes have been studied widely for their role in establishing and maintaining social relationships, and shaping public opinion, online. However, they are also a prominent and fast evolving multimodal genre, one which calls for an in-depth linguistic analysis. This book, the first of its kind, develops the analytical tools necessary to describe and understand contemporary 'image-plus-text' communication. It demonstrates how memes achieve meaning as multimodal artifacts, how they are governed by specific rules of composition and interpretation, and how such processes are driven by stance networks. It also defines a family of multimodal constructions in which images become structural components, while making language forms adjust to the emerging multimodal rules. Through analysis of several meme types, this approach defines the specificity of the memetic genre, describing established types, but also accounting for creative forms. In describing the 'grammar of memes', it provides a new model to approach multimodal genres.

By: Barbara Dancygier (University of British Columbia Vancouver), Lieven Vandelanotte (University of Namur, Belgium)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781108844352
ISBN 10: 1108844359
Pages: 266
Publication Date: 11 September 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Abbreviations; 1. Why study memes from the linguistic perspective?; 2. Memes and multimodal figuration; 3. Image macro memes; 4. Labelling memes; 5. Memetic grids; 6. Memetic use of personal pronouns; 7. Say, tell and be like meme constructions; 8. Embedding discourse spaces without say verbs; 9. Memetic form and memetic meaning; 10. Memetic discourse on social media platforms; 11. Memes and advertising; 12. One does not simply draw a conclusion.

Barbara Dancygier is Professor and Distinguished University Scholar at the University of British Columbia, Canada. Lieven Vandelanotte is Francqui Research Professor at the University of Namur and a Research Fellow in linguistics at KU Leuven, Belgium.