Metaphor as a device for understanding cognitive concepts

Authors

  • Svetlana Kiseleva Pushkin Leningrad State University
  • Nelia Trofimova National Research University "Higher School of Economics" of St. Petersburg

Keywords:

metaphor, metaphorization process, image schemes, heuristic potential, conceptual sphere, meaning representation, cognitive model, military conceptual sphere

Abstract

The paper addresses metaphor as a cognitive-semantic device which is able to reveal intuitive mechanisms of the thinking process, thus filling the gaps in the sphere of logically objective human knowledge and opening the possibility to describe abstract concepts of the human mind in terms. This paper substantiates the principal possibility of conceptual modeling of the metaphorization process and describes its baseline algorithm, identifies complex metaphors and establishes the cognitive-semantic features of their functioning. The main conclusion of the reasoning confirms the hypothesis that different image schemes have different strength of heuristic potential, which determines the fullness of metaphorical descriptions of concepts.

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Author Biographies

Svetlana Kiseleva, Pushkin Leningrad State University

Dr. Svetlana Kiseleva is professor of linguistics at Pushkin Leningrad State University in Russia. Her main areas of research interests include lexicology, cognitive linguistics, and cognitive semantics, which served as a linguistic background for scientific papers she authored or co-authored in last years. Her current research is centered on metaphorical discourse and general issues in word and sentence meaning.

Nelia Trofimova, National Research University "Higher School of Economics" of St. Petersburg

Dr. Nella Trofimova is professor of linguistics at National Research University "Higher School of Economics" of St. Petersburg in Russia. Her main areas of research interests include semantics, cognitive pragmatics, and discourse analysis, which served as a linguistic background for scientific papers she authored or co-authored in last years. Her current research is centered on metaphorical discourse and general issues in word and sentence meaning.

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Published

2017-12-05

How to Cite

Kiseleva, S., & Trofimova, N. (2017). Metaphor as a device for understanding cognitive concepts. Revista De Lenguas Para Fines Específicos, 23(2), 226–246. Retrieved from https://ojsspdc.ulpgc.es/ojs/index.php/LFE/article/view/926

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 2 (2017): Revista de lenguas para fines específicos

Section

Sección Monográfica/Special Issue

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