•THE
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COGNITIVE METAPHOR THEORY
VISUAL METAPHORS
•MULTIMODAL
METAPHORS (VERBO-VISUAL)
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Metaphors are pervasive in our life; we
speak of, write about, and depict the
world through metaphors.
In everyday language we use a large
number of conventional metaphorical
expressions, which form patterns;
Conventional patterns shape
metaphorical thought and create
conceptual metaphors
Metaphor is the phenomenon
whereby we talk and potentially think
about one thing in terms of another
DEFINITIONS
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Conceptual metaphor: systematic process
of thinking about one thing in terms of
something else
Linguistic metaphor: systematic process of
talking about one thing in terms of
something else
Conceptual metaphor
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LOVE IS A JOURNEY (small capitals)*: love is often
understood in terms of a journey
Mappings
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LOVE = target domain
JOURNEY = source domain
domain A (TARGET) is understood in terms of a
domain B (SOURCE)
LOVE IS A JOURNEY conceptual metaphor
Possible metaphorical linguistic expressions:
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Look how far we’ve come
We are at crossroads
We’ll just have to go our separate ways
I don’t think this relationship is going anywhere
Target domain usually refers to abstract,
complex, unfamiliar, subjective areas of
experience, such as life, love, etc.
Source domain matches concrete, simple,
and more familiar experience, such as
physical objects, bodily phenomena,etc.
Source domain
“the conceptual domain from which we draw
metaphorical expression to understand another
conceptual domain is called source domain”
(Kövecses, 2010:4)
Target domain
“the conceptual domain that is understood this
way is the target domain” (Kövecses, 2010:4)
The MIP (metaphor identification procedure)
develops as follows:
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Read the entire text–discourse to establish
general understanding of the meaning;
Determine
discourse;
the
lexical
units
in
the
text–
The MIP (metaphor identification procedure)
develops as follows:
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(a) For each lexical unit in the text, establish its
meaning in context, that is, how it applies to an
entity, relation, or attribute in the situation evoked
by the text (contextual meaning). Take into account
what comes before and after the lexical unit;
(b) For each lexical unit, determine if it has a more
basic contemporary meaning in other contexts than
the one in the given context. For our purposes, basic
meanings tend to be
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More concrete [what they evoke is easier to imagine,
see, hear, feel,smell, and taste];
Related to bodily action;
More precise (as opposed to vague);
Historically older;
Basic meanings are not necessarily the most frequent
meanings of the lexical unit.
(c) If the lexical unit has a more basic current–
contemporary meaning in other contexts than the
given context, decide whether the contextual
meaning contrasts with the basic meaning but can
be understood in comparison with it.
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If yes, mark the lexical unit as metaphorical.
CONTEXTUAL METAPOHR
INTEGRATED METAPHOR
HYBRID METAPHOR
PICTORIAL SIMILE
CONTEXTUAL METAPOHR
an object is represented in an unexpected visual context,
object A is understood as being object B, due to the
context in which it is portrayed; the visually represented entity
is the target while the visually suggested entity is the source,
which is inferred by the viewer thanks to the context of
expression. The contextual metaphorical representation prompts
identification A is B format.
See picture
INTEGRATED METAPHOR
the visual representation shows an object A which looks like an
object B, even without being provided a specific context. The
integrated metaphor expresses similarity between the two
domains A is like B format.
See picture
HYBRID METAPHOR
the visual representation portrays an impossible entity in the
world, showing two objects. A and B, which are usually
understood as two different entities belonging to two different
domains, but are exceptionally visualized as belonging to the
same.
See picture
SIMILE METAPHOR
two objects are represented in their entirety and are made
to look similar, A is like B format. The juxtaposition
appears as a sort of invitation addressed to the viewer to
compare two entities, and the verbal text, which functions
as a contextualised support, prompts a natural connection,
and triggers the process of mapping from A to B.
See picture
Monomodality pertains to messages which are rendered in a
single mode, either visual or verbal. If, for example, we take into
consideration some written forms of communication, such as
newspaper articles, books, essays, medical prescriptions, letters,
e-mails, text messages, which do contain only the mode of
written text, we must conceive them as monomodal texts.
Conversely, if visual tools are added to the above-mentioned
texts, such as pictures, graphics, diagrams, smiles (i.e. with text
messages and e-mails), or even some sound, as for example,
With birthday postcards that write and sing happy birthday,
Monomodal messages turn into multimodal communicative
expressions.
As for metaphorical representations, when both target and
source domains are expressed in a single mode, either
verbal or visual, metaphors are classified as monomodal; if
target and source domain are rendered in two different
sign systems (visual, written, spoken), or modes of
Perception (smell, taste, and touch), even if the ‘A is B’
format is maintained, metaphors become multimodal.
CONTEXTUAL METAPOHR
INTEGRATED METAPHOR
HYBRID METAPHOR
PICTORIAL SIMILE
Among the most frequent mutlimodal metaphors are the
verbo-pictorial.
See pictures
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THE CONCEPT OF IMMEDIACY: the visual mode provides
immediate understanding (context and world knowledge)
TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL SEQUENCING: the verbal
mode is better at representing actions and their
chronological sequences
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THE PROCESS OF DOMESTICATION: knotty and abstract
concepts when visualised are made accessible and easily
comprehensible and understandable
THE CONCEPT OF CONDENSATION: images are better at
representing single entities, while the verbal mode may
describe both a plurality and single entities