The Language of Memes
Patterns of Meaning Across Image and Text

The first book-length analysis of memes from a linguistic perspective, proposing a new approach to the study of multimodal genres.

Barbara Dancygier (Author), Lieven Vandelanotte (Author)

9781108844352, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 11 September 2025

266 pages
23.5 x 16 x 1.9 cm, 0.54 kg

'… a vital contribution to linguistic meme studies. It is an excellent guidebook for linguists from different domains, such as construction grammar, public discourse studies, cultural communication, social media communication, and pragmatics in particular to start their exploration of the meme world.' Tiancheng Chen, Journal of Pragmatics

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.

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.

Subject Areas: Linguistics [CF]