Linguistic Metaphor
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A Linguistic Metaphor is a figurative language device that establishes conceptual mappings between source domains and target domains, enabling abstract concept understanding through concrete experience references and cognitive transfers in human communication.
- AKA: Metaphorical Expression, Conceptual Metaphor, Figurative Metaphor, Metaphoric Language, Metaphor Expression, Metaphoric Expression, Metaphorical Utterance.
- Context:
- It can (typically) map Physical Experiences onto abstract concepts through embodied cognition.
- It can (typically) structure Cognitive Understanding through familiar domains via neural mappings.
- It can (typically) enable Complex Idea Communication via simple comparisons in discourse.
- It can (typically) create Semantic Bridges between disparate concepts through analogical reasoning.
- It can (typically) generate New Meanings through conceptual blending and emergent propertys.
- It can (typically) organize Conceptual Systems through systematic correspondences.
- It can (typically) establish Image Schemas connecting sensorimotor experiences to abstract reasoning.
- It can (often) reveal Cultural Worldviews through metaphor choices and linguistic preferences.
- It can (often) influence Thought Patterns via linguistic framing and cognitive biases.
- It can (often) facilitate Emotional Connections in communication acts through affective transfer.
- It can (often) preserve Folk Wisdom through traditional metaphors and cultural transmission.
- It can (often) encode Tacit Knowledge through implicit understandings.
- It can (often) support Software Design Patterns like Software Design by Contract Pattern.
- It can (frequently) shape Political Discourse through framing effects and persuasive strategys.
- It can (frequently) enhance Literary Expression in creative writing and poetry.
- It can (frequently) support Language Learning through conceptual bridges and cognitive scaffolds.
- It can (frequently) reveal Cognitive Processes in psycholinguistic research and neurolinguistic studys.
- It can (frequently) preserve Cultural Knowledge across linguistic communities.
- It can (frequently) facilitate Scientific Discovery through model-based reasoning.
- It can (frequently) enable Therapeutic Communication in counseling contexts.
- It can range from being a Dead Linguistic Metaphor to being a Novel Linguistic Metaphor, depending on its conventionality degree.
- It can range from being a Simple Linguistic Metaphor to being an Extended Linguistic Metaphor, depending on its elaboration level.
- It can range from being a Universal Linguistic Metaphor to being a Culture-Specific Linguistic Metaphor, depending on its cross-cultural validity.
- It can range from being a Transparent Linguistic Metaphor to being an Opaque Linguistic Metaphor, depending on its interpretability level.
- It can range from being a Structural Linguistic Metaphor to being an Orientational Linguistic Metaphor to being an Ontological Linguistic Metaphor, depending on its mapping type.
- It can range from being a Conventional Linguistic Metaphor to being a Creative Linguistic Metaphor, depending on its originality degree.
- It can range from being a Positive Linguistic Metaphor to being a Negative Linguistic Metaphor, depending on its evaluative stance.
- It can range from being a Primary Linguistic Metaphor to being a Complex Linguistic Metaphor, depending on its experiential grounding.
- It can range from being a Verbal Linguistic Metaphor to being a Visual Linguistic Metaphor, depending on its modality.
- It can range from being a Source-Heavy Linguistic Metaphor to being a Target-Heavy Linguistic Metaphor, depending on its elaboration focus.
- ...
- Example(s):
- Conceptual Linguistic Metaphors, such as:
- TIME IS MONEY Metaphor: "You're wasting my time", "This will save you hours", "I've invested a lot of time in this".
- LIFE IS A JOURNEY Metaphor: "He's at a crossroads", "She's gone through a lot", "We're at the beginning of our path together".
- ARGUMENT IS WAR Metaphor: "Your claims are indefensible", "He shot down all my arguments", "She won the debate".
- MIND IS A MACHINE Metaphor: "I'm processing that information", "My brain needs a reboot", "He's running on autopilot".
- IDEAS ARE FOOD Metaphor: "I can't digest all these facts", "That's food for thought", "She devoured the book".
- Spatial Linguistic Metaphors / Orientational Linguistic Metaphors, such as:
- UP IS GOOD Metaphor: "Things are looking up", "She's at the peak of her career", "High quality work".
- DOWN IS BAD Metaphor: "I'm feeling down", "He fell into depression", "That's a low blow".
- FORWARD IS FUTURE Metaphor: "Looking forward to seeing you", "We're moving ahead with the plan".
- BACKWARD IS PAST Metaphor: "Looking back on it now", "Don't dwell on the past".
- CENTER IS IMPORTANT Metaphor: "That's central to our mission", "A peripheral concern".
- Container Linguistic Metaphors / Ontological Linguistic Metaphors, such as:
- MIND AS CONTAINER Metaphor: "Try to get it into your head", "I can't get that out of my mind", "It's in the back of my mind".
- STATES ARE CONTAINERS Metaphor: "He's in love", "She fell into a depression", "We're out of trouble now".
- CATEGORIES ARE CONTAINERS Metaphor: "Are tomatoes in the fruit or vegetable category?", "He's outside the mainstream".
- VISUAL FIELDS ARE CONTAINERS Metaphor: "That's in sight", "It's out of view", "I have him in my sights".
- Specialized Domain Linguistic Metaphors, such as:
- Sexual Metaphors: Various intimate expressions using physical metaphors.
- War Metaphors in Business Discourse: "Capture market share", "Launch a campaign", "Target customers".
- Sports Metaphors in Politics: "It's a horse race", "He's playing hardball", "That's a slam dunk".
- Computer Metaphors in Cognition: "I need to process this", "Download the information", "My memory storage is full".
- Building Metaphors in Relationships: "We need a strong foundation", "Our relationship is crumbling".
- Literary Linguistic Metaphors, such as:
- Shakespeare's Metaphors: "All the world's a stage" (As You Like It).
- Biblical Metaphors: "The Lord is my shepherd" (Psalm 23).
- Modernist Metaphors: "April is the cruellest month" (T.S. Eliot).
- Nature Metaphors in Romantic Poetry: "My love is like a red, red rose" (Robert Burns).
- Primary Linguistic Metaphors (from embodied experience), such as:
- AFFECTION IS WARMTH: "She gave me a warm welcome", "He's a cold person".
- IMPORTANT IS BIG: "That's a big deal", "It's a small matter".
- DIFFICULTY IS WEIGHT: "That's a heavy responsibility", "Take a load off".
- SIMILARITY IS CLOSENESS: "Those ideas are very close", "That's far from what I meant".
- Idiomatic Linguistic Metaphors, such as:
- Scientific Linguistic Metaphors, such as:
- Therapeutic Linguistic Metaphors, such as:
- ...
- Conceptual Linguistic Metaphors, such as:
- Counter-Example(s):
- Literal Language, expressing direct meaning without figurative devices.
- Simile, using explicit comparison with "like" or "as": "She runs like the wind".
- Metonymy, using contiguity relation rather than similarity: "The White House announced".
- Synecdoche, using part-whole relation: "All hands on deck".
- Mathematical Symbol, representing precise concepts without metaphorical mapping.
- Technical Terminology, prioritizing denotative meaning over connotative meaning.
- Formal Logic Statement, expressing propositional content without figurative language.
- See: Metaphor, Figurative Language Device, Conceptual Mapping, Cognitive Linguistics, Sexual Metaphor, English Warning Metaphor, Image Schema, Conceptual Structure, Communication Device, Semantic Transfer, Language Understanding, Rhetorical Device, Conceptual Blending, Metaphor Theory, Human Communication, Tacit Knowledge, Software Design by Contract Pattern, Embodied Cognition, Lakoff and Johnson, Cognitive Metaphor Theory, Metaphor Identification, Metaphor Processing, Cross-Domain Mapping.