The zapatista linguistic revolution: A corpus-assisted analysis

Abstract

This chapter investigates the claim that the Zapatista discourse transformed Latin American guerrilla language. Through Corpus-Assisted Discourse Studies, the Zapatista communiqués are compared with a reference corpus composed of previous guerrilla discourses. Although the Zapatistas abandon vocabulary associated with Marxism, findings show that several tropes and motifs of traditional guerrilla discourse are still mobilised by the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional. These elements, nevertheless, are sometimes rebranded or used exclusively to dialogue with other leftist organisations. In addition, a significant rupture is found in the Zapatistas' emphasis on orality, manifested through slang, neologisms, and uncharacteristically frequent references to speech acts.