El enganol y el cuco: metaphors in the nexus between language and status in Puerto Rico

摘要

The year leading up to the 2012 plebiscite on Puerto Rico's political status coincided with the proposal of a project to 'guarantee' bilingualism through English instruction in the schools. The intimate nexus between the Island's political status and issues of language was highlighted during that time not only in the news media on the Island but also in the US presidential campaign speeches during which candidates divulged their perspectives. This paper analyzes metaphors on language in Puerto Rico, including, among others, those based on el enganol or el cuco, particularly where these appeared in connection with the plebiscite on status, focusing on news articles and opinion columns published between December 2011 and April 2013, from the time the plebiscite was announced through the follow-up coverage several months after it was held. The paper concludes that the debates on language as related to status in Puerto Rico maintain some well-known metaphors, but that other, third-way metaphorical expressions are also being used to clarify and give shape to the controversy.