Conceptual-metaphors-and-metonymies

ConceptualmetaphorsandmetonymiesProfessor:TianYanmingStudent:GaoYuanDate:2009,63.1Metaphorsandmetonymies:fromfiguresofspeechtoconceptualsystems3.1.1Metaphorandmetonymyasfiguresofspeech3.1.2Conventionalizedmetaphors3.1.3Metaphorsascognitiveinstruments3.1.4Thegroundingofmetaphors:basicexperiences3.1.5Metaphorandmetonymy:differencesandcombinations3.1.6Thenatureofmetaphor3.1.7Theclassificationofmetaphor3.1.8Summary3.1.1MetaphorandmetonymyasfiguresofspeechTraditionally,metaphorsandmetonymieshavebeenregardedasfiguresofspeech,i.e.asmoreorlessornamentaldevicesusedinrhetoricalstyle.Metaphor:afigureofspeechcontaininganimpliedcomparison,inwhichawordorphraseordinarilyandprimarilyusedofonethingisappliedtoanother.(Webster’sNewWorldDictionary)Metonymy:afigureofspeechthatconsistsinusingthenameofonethingforthatofsomethingelsewithwhichitisassociated.(Webster’sNewInternationalDictionary)Examples:Happinessislikesunshine:itismadeupofverylittlebeams.(simile)Thesunshineoflifeismadeupofverylittlebeams.(metaphor)Thekettleisboiling.(metonymy)3.1.2Conventionalizedmetaphorsheadofdepartment,ofstate,ofgovernment,ofapage,ofaqueue,ofaflower,ofabeer,ofstairs,ofabed,ofataperecorder,ofasyntacticconstructionfaceofamountain,ofabuilding,ofawatcheyeofapotato,ofaneedle,ofahurricane,ofabutterfly,inaflower,hooksandeyesmouthofahole,ofatunnel,ofacave,ofariverlipsofacup,ofajug,ofacrater,ofaplatenoseofanaircraft,ofatool,ofagunneckofland,ofthewoods,ofashirt,bottle-neckshoulderofahillormountain,ofabottle,ofaroad,ofajacketarmofachair,ofthesea,ofatree,ofacoatorjacket,ofarecordplayerhandsofawatch,ofanaltimeter/speedometer(Conventionalizedmetaphorsofbody-parts)Conventionalized,lexicalizedor‘dead’metaphor:throughitsfrequentassociationwithacertainlinguisticform,thefigurativemeaningofawordhasbecomesoestablishedinthespeechcommunity(i.e.conventionalized)thatitisenteredinthelexiconasonesenseofthewordinitsownright(i.e.lexicalized).Whenaunitoflinguisticformandmeaningisconventionalizedandlexicalized,themetaphoricalforceofthewordisnolongeractive,themetaphoris‘dead’.Typesofconventionalizedmetaphors(accordingtoLeech)ConcretiveMetaphor具象化隐喻(thepainofseparation,roomfornegotiation)AnimisticMetaphor生机式隐喻(anangrysky,shoulderofthehill)HumanizingMetaphor拟人式隐喻(friendlyriver,laughingvalleys)SynaestheticMetaphor通感式隐喻(warmcolour,dullsound)3.1.3MetaphorsascognitiveinstrumentsMetaphorsarenotjustawayofexpressingideasbymeansoflanguage,butawayofthinkingaboutthings.Metaphorsthathaveunconsciouslybeenbuiltintothelanguagebylong-establishedconventionsarethemostimportantones.(1)Trytopackmorethoughtsintofewerwords.(2)Insertthoseideaselsewhereintheparagraph.(3)Thesentencewasfilledwithemotion.(4)Trytogetyourthoughtsacrossbetter.(5)NoneofMary’sfeelingscamethroughtome.(6)Youstillhaven’tgivenmeanyideaofwhatyoumean.(7)Canyouextractcoherentideasfromthatprose?(8)Letmeknowifyoufindanygoodideasintheessay.(9)Idon’tgetanyfeelingsofangeroutofhiswords.(Linguisticexpressionsdescribingthecommunicationprocess)Theseexamplesindicatethatweoftenusethreerelatedmetaphorstoconceptualizehowlinguisticcommunicationworks.(1)to(3)illustratetheconventionalimagethatwhenwespeakwetakeideas,thoughtsandemotionsandputthemintowordsandsentences.(4)to(6)arelinguisticreflectionsofthemetaphorthatseeslinguisticcommunicationasthetransferofthoughtsandfeelingsbymeansoflanguage.(7)to(9)areconcernedwithhowthereceiverunpacksorextractstheideasfromthelanguage.Theoverallpictureisthatideasareobjectswhichareputintocontainers(=words)byasenderandsenttoareceiverwhotakestheobjects(=ideas)outoftheircontainers(=words).Linguisticcommunicationisconceptualizedintermsofthesendingandreceivingofparcels,andthisiscalled+CONDUIT+metaphorbyReddy.Fromacognitivepointofview,metaphorsarenotjustsemanticextensionsofoneisolatedcategorytoanothercategoryinadifferentfield,butthattheconnectionsandrelationsbetweencategoriesplayanimportantpart.Thecrucialaspectsofametaphorarenotonlythepropertiesinherentintheindividualcategories,buttheirroleinthestructureofanentire‘cognitivemodel’.Fromacognitiveperspective,ametaphorisamappingofthestructureofasourcemodelontoatargetmodel.StructuralmappingExamplesTHEPERSONLEADINGALIFEISATRAVELLERShewentthroughlifewithagoodheart.HISPURPOSESAREDESTINATIONSHeknowswhereheisgoinginlife.THEMEANSFORACHIEVINGPURPOSESAREROUTESIdon’tknowwhichpathtotake.DIFFICULTIESINLIFEAREIMPEDIMENTSTOTRAVELHeworkedhiswayaroundmanyobstacles.PROGRESSISTHEDISTANCETRAVELLEDHemadehiswayinlife.THINGSYOUGAUGEYOURPROGRESSBYThenhecametoapointinhislifewhereARELANDMARKShehadtomakeadifficultdecision.CHOICESINLIFEARECROSSROADSThereweretwopathsopentohim.(SomestructuralmappingsfromJOURNEYtoLIFE)Alltheseexamplesillustratethatthroughthelanguageweuse,weshowthatweconceptualizeLIFEintermsofaJOURNEY.TargetSourceangerdangerousanimalargumentjourneyargumentwarcommunicationsendingdeathdepatureideasplantslifetimedaylovewartheoriesbuildingstimemoneyunderstandingseeingwordcoinworldtheatre(Someexamplesofmetaphoricalmappings)Werelyonmodelsoftheconcreteworldtoconceptualizeabstractphenomena----ourcon