NatureCultures in Old and New Worlds. Steps towards an ecolinguistic perspective on framing a ‘new’ continent

This paper tentatively addresses how the inclusion of a diachronic perspective might improve the scope of ecolinguistics. The topic is approached through the analysis of metaphors and other lexicalised items stemming from a variety of historical sources used to frame the Indies. First, we discuss and summarise current trends and developments in ecolinguistics. Second, we outline the basic aspects of an ecological and diachronically sensible theory of metaphor that third is applied to paradigmatic examples taken from our corpus of historical sources. The final section outlines the results and explores how a diachronic perspective in ecolinguistics holds the potential to function as an add-on in the context of environmental research.