Against an interdisciplinary backdrop of rising interest in nostalgia, this paper examines the framing of the labels ‘nostalgia’ and ‘nostalgic’. We ask whether these terms have actually been used to refer to the same emotion, or to frame the emotion in the same way over an extended period of time. We consider this a classic first step in the investigation of any complex concept insofar as examining the label(s) provides a point of access and gives insights to core features and expectations around the construction of that concept. Using the tools of corpus-assisted discourse analysis we examine two continuous corpora of British English: Hansard and the Times which cover the period 1800-2021 and provide a measure of mainstream usage in public discourse. Although ‘nostalgia’ is first attested in the OED in 1756, and in the Times corpus in the 1870s, it does not gain currency in either corpus used here until the 1950s. In this talk, we present the main aspects of the collocational profile. First, we show how the labels are evaluated and used evaluatively. For example, who is described as being 'nostalgic', or what metaphors are associated with nostalgia (do we 'wallow' in it or is that only something others do?). Second, we identify the time periods with which nostalgia is associated showing how it is associated with nation and nationalism. Third, we examine what is framed as being 'nostalgic' and discuss the major pattern of increasing commodification of 'nostalgia' in public discourse.

About the speakers

Prof Charlotte Taylor

Charlotte's expertise relate to:

• migration discourses (how do we talk about people who move? what is the role of memory in framing mobility?)
• nostalgia in discourse (how is nostalgia framed in discourse? how is it used to de/legitimate arguments?)
• impoliteness (how do we convey and interpret verbal aggression?)
• science communication in the press (how are scientific findings framed and used persuasively?)
• metaphor (how is metaphor used to frame and communicate ideologies in public discourse?)
• corpus and discourse analysis (how can we develop best practice? how do we impact on our own research?)

Recent activity: Charlotte is currently working on a book titled 'Migration Discourses and Memory: Stasis, Amnesia and Nostalgia'. In 2020 she organised the online edition of the 'Corpora and Discourse International Conference' and in 2021 she organised the conference 'Approaches to Language, Migration and Identity' in 2021 https://amli2021.org/

Dr Anna Marchi

Anna is Associate Professor of English Language and Linguistics at Bologna University and editor-in-chief of Journal of Corpora and Discourse Studies (JCaDs). She has a background in journalism and a PhD in linguistics earned at Lancaster University. Her research interests include corpus & discourse methods, journalistic discourse, and nostalgia in discourse.