Abstract

This paper investigates memes as a form of multimodal discourse and explores how humor operates linguistically and visually in digital spaces. By analyzing Urdu-English bilingual memes collected from Pakistani social media, this research highlights the interplay between text, imagery, and sociocultural context that constructs humor and shapes identity. Drawing upon Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2001) Multimodal Discourse Theory and Attardo’s (1994) General Theory of Verbal Humor, the study uncovers how memes encode linguistic creativity, cultural hybridity, and social critique. Humor in memes functions through code-switching, irony, and contextual intertextuality. Beyond entertainment, memes serve as sociolinguistic artifacts that reflect collective emotions, ideologies, and digital identities. This research contributes to discourse studies and sociolinguistics by emphasizing memes as evolving linguistic texts that represent new dimensions of humor and communication in postcolonial societies.