International Academic Workshop on Social Science (IAW-SC 2013)

Study on The Essence of Metaphor

Duan Youguo
Department of Freshmen Education
Yangtze University
Jingzhou, China
[email protected]

Abstract—Based on the definitions of metaphor, this paper species for species and to substitute species for category, etc..
illustrates the origin of metaphor and some popular theories of The common point among them is to replace one word with
what metaphor really is. At the same time, due to the fact that another word.
people’s cognitive ability develops with the times, three stages Then, substitution in metaphor is to substitute one thing
of metaphor development also get detailed explanation. for another thing or to take advantage of another word to
demonstrate a certain relationship, while the referred two
Keywords-metaphor;essence;substitution;comparison;intera things or words are mostly irrelevant. For example, in “My
ction;figrative;cognitive;philosophy of mind.
pet dog left me yesterday”, the speaker must feel
I. INTRODUCTION heartbroken when the pet dog died. But he/she felt a must to
tell it to others in order to share her grief. “Die” has the basic
Metaphor was originated from the Greek word meaning of “away”, “out of the world”. There are many
“metapherein”, in which “meta” means “exceeding” and ways to express it, such as “pass away”, “go to west”, or
“pherein” means “carrying”. As for the exact definition of “disappear” etc. “Leave” can be used to replace “die”. In
metaphor, we can get it from various dictionaries: “Maybe the story will evaporate overnight”, evaporate has a
Definition 1: Metaphor, a figure of speech, is “a word or similar function.
phrase which is used for special effect, and which does not
have its natural meaning.” “In a metaphor, no function B. The theory of comparison
words are used, something is described by stating another According to this theory, the founding of metaphorical
thing with which it can be compared.”[1] relationship between objects must be based on the similarity
Definition 2: Metaphor, I. A figure of speech in which a between them by comparing the two semantic features of the
word or expression normally used of one kind of object, two words or phrases. And the two objects in any metaphor
action, etc. is extended to another. II. Used by G. P. Lakoff can not be arbitrarily replaced just based on semantic
in the 1980s of a general pattern in which one domain is meaning.
systematically conceived and spoken of in terms of Examples
another.[2] [1] a: Angry women are tigers.
Therefore, the former holds that metaphor is just a figure [1] b: ZZ is China’s Ronaldo.
of speech in which two things are compared by saying that In [1] a, angry women and tigers are not in the same
one is another, but not with any word as “like” or “as”, while synonymous domain. While in [1] b, although ZZ and
the latter holds that metaphor is both a figure of speech and a Ronaldo are human beings, only those who can make many
mechanism of knowing another thing. goals on football course can be addressed as Ronaldo. We
can test it in a reverse direction. Maybe no one would accept
II. ESSENCE OF METAPHOR such saying “Tigers are angry women.” While “Ronaldo is
As discussed above, when it comes to the definition of China’s ZZ” is reasonable, it will only be a laughing stock
metaphor, different people stand on various positions, because people always compare a promising young
standing for their respective understanding of the nature of generation to a senior one but not the reverse.
metaphor and the emphasis they prefer to place. As a result In this theory, when it comes to comparison, it is
of the fact that people stress different aspects in it, two generally based on three points, the similarity, the original
standpoints have been formed. One is that, centering on meaning and symmetry. About the comparison of
cognition, metaphor functions as the organizer of our similarity, Aristotle provided his explanation: When
conceptual system. The other is that metaphor’s role in metaphor is used to name the unknown thing, the name
metaphor understanding is to polish the text and should not be chosen from boundless objects but from those
emotionalize readers. Generally speaking, in academic field similar to it or with the same origin. Therefore, the audience
of metaphor studies, there exist three opinions: theory of will notice the relationship clearly and immediately. As for
substitution, theory of comparison and theory of interaction, the comparison of the original meaning, according to
each playing important roles in various stages. Aristotle, metaphor is simile of original meaning of words or
phrases without such function words as “like” or “as”. This
A. The theory of substitution theory is based on the comparison of original meaning from
According to Aristotle, there are several types of common sense.
metaphor: to substitute category for species, to substitute

© 2013. The authors - Published by Atlantis Press 560

C. The theory of interaction the former study tide. He pointed out the deficiency in
Richards[3] holds the idea that the forming of metaphor traditional metaphor study, that is, it neglected the fact that
depends on the mutual influence between Tenor and Vehicle, metaphor basically is the intercourse between ideas, is the
which, specifically, is the interaction between the two. The interaction between contexts. Therefore, he advanced the
so-called interaction means that the original meaning and the supposition that people naturally have metaphorical notion
referred meaning enjoy mutual influence always. Only in of thinking and people will achieve metaphor only by
this way, will the meaning of the user and the mechanism contrast, a conclusion that he arrived at after his personal
used in the formation of the meaning be understood attentive checkout of the nature of metaphor from the
thoroughly. cognitive angle. Hence, it is accepted that metaphor is a
Of course, beside he above-mentioned theories of the language utterance phenomenon and a notion of thinking
essence of metaphor in human history, there must have belonging to human beings only. Metaphor is “omnipresent
sprung up many other theories concerning it and they must principle of language” of humans. Statistics tell that there is
have mushroomed once. But, comparatively, they enjoyed a one metaphor occurring in each three sentences in our daily
shorter popularity, which is why they don’t arouse much life, which unconsciously provides a sound proof to the
interest in scholars to study them more widely and deeply. supposition made by Lakoff, in his Metaphor We Live By.
Without metaphor, we have difficulty creating and
III. STAGES OF METAPHOR UNDERSTANDING appreciating the beauty demonstrated in literary works,
because common vocabulary are quite pallid and boring,
More than 2000 years has passed since people studied
sometimes even lengthy when facing new things and
metaphor. In the history of metaphor studies, 1980 is always
abstract concept. Without metaphor, our society will slow
regarded as a time-marker. Before that, people regarded it as
down its developing steps because to explain the new things
a figure of speech. After that, a notion of thinking is the
would cost too much time.
most prevailing interpretation.
In 1980s, metaphor study achieved great achievements,
A. The rhetoric angle of metaphor among which Metaphor We Live By (1980) by Lakoff and
As discussed above, the English word “metaphor” comes Johnson was the most famous. In their book, they advanced
from the Greek word “metaphorein” which means that to a brand new researching angle. It says that metaphor is more
move one or more features of a thing to another, describing a a metaphorical concept system, a notion of thinking than just
dynamic state. The reference might imply that the second a figure of speech. It denied the former concepts of the
thing “is” the original one. nature of metaphor, such as the one in the comparison theory
For traditional rhetoric, metaphor is a figure of speech, advanced by Aristotle and “metaphor is the inner language
just as mentioned in the definitions of metaphor. Metaphor structure” study trend.
studies were first aimed at describing metaphor’s functions In their book, they focused on conceptual metaphor when
in literature. Aristotle in his books Poetics and Rhetoric they systematically regarded metaphor as a notion of
stated his opinions on metaphor. He said that metaphor was thinking or cognition. They held the idea that the regularity
a language tool that one word instead of another was used to of human cognition was reflected in the system of
mean the same. For him, to decorate is the main function of metaphorical concept, which includes two aspects. One is
metaphor, especially for literary works. In any literary work, that, in order to help people know some part of one thing,
we can find the track of metaphor. For example, in Shelley’s conceptual metaphor usually focuses on the illustration of
Ode To The West Wind, by describing the functions of the certain part of its analogical object. In order to support the
west wind, Shelley stated the warmly welcome of the explanation, they took “idea” as an example, in which, they
coming revolution, which was also his own ambition. The said that in order to understand the abstract concept “idea”,
last sentence “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” people would have their respective definitions based on their
further demonstrated his positive attitude to the victory of personal social experiences and practices and various
revolution. Based on his own understanding of metaphor’s cultural customs, based on which they would form several
importance on literature, Aristotle was remembered as the conceptual metaphors correspondingly: IDEA IS
father of systematical metaphor study and his famous saying BUILDING; IDEA IS FOOD; IDEA IS PLANT; IDEA IS
“the greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor” is COMMODITY, ETC.. Such metaphors own the same object:
still singing in metaphor researcher’s ears. IDEA, but any one just tells one part of it. For example, by
Therefore, in traditional study, following Aristotle, comparing idea, an abstract concept, to a building, a
metaphor was assigned together with other figures of speech, concrete thing, Lakoff has made us understand the formation
such as simile, metonymy. Despite its limitation and of idea because there are certain similarities between the two.
deficiency based on time and condition, the traditional way For example, they have the similar structure. In “How can
provides people with an important perspective to study you build up your IDEA on your hearing but not your
metaphor. seeing?”, BUILD UP is usually used in building, but we can
understand what IDEA is easily because of the similarity.
B. The cognitive angle of metaphor The other idea is that metaphor is vehicle. Therefore the
Metaphor study has got certain attention in cognitive relevant words that are influenced by metaphorical concept
science and other fields since 1930s when the founder of the make up an organic system. As the object of human
theory of interaction in metaphor study, Richards, converted cognition, the vehicle of a metaphor has multi-layered and

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multi-lateral features. One or several features of vehicle may their abstract thought briefly and clearly, but also can they
make up a metaphorical concept. On the formation of such a sometimes express their certain affection or feeling which
concept, other features of vehicle would naturally come into they dare not say directly. And their works can always
being. For example, the metaphor IDEA IS PLANT might stimulate readers’ infinite imagination and heated
be caused by the fact that both idea and plant share the same discussion.
process in growing up. In this saying, some features of plant Second, metaphor provides people with a brief and clear
as development, death, fertilization, watering, and sunlight mechanism to observe the world. We know that in ancient
would be extended in our mind. times, when human language was still in its primitive stage,
Therefore, we can conclude that metaphorical conceptual most things around them could not be described clearly.
system originated from human experience. Human beings When human beings employed words they had known to
have become accustomed to interpreting and experiencing describe things they were not familiar with, such as blood,
new and abstract things based on metaphorical concept. idea, etc., they thought blood was just like sea, thought, or
More specifically, people usually understand some abstract cloud, etc. So, we can say that most words about non-living
concepts by using some concrete things that they’re familiar things were metaphors of human body or their
with. For instance, life is abstract for us, which is difficult corresponding feelings. For example, when using foot to say
for people to illustrate what life is like exactly to others, the bottom of a mountain, the metaphor “the foot of the
therefore they create the metaphorical concept: LIFE IS A mountain” came into being. Metaphors, such as “the leg of
JOURNEY, in which, the source domain is journey and the the time”, “the hands of the clock”, and “the eyes of the
target domain is life. In understanding this metaphor, various needle” have the similar background. By adopting metaphor,
features of the “journey” domain could be systematically people can bridge the gap between the known world and the
mapped on the “life” domain. Hence, we will know that, like unknown world.
a journey, there are starting and ending in life, and there are The last but not the least important is that metaphor can
ups and downs in life. The following expressions explain the help in creating new meanings, that is, to name new things
above-mentioned usage in detail. or to bestow old things new meanings. For example, in order
He’s been a head start in life. to avoid misconception, Lakoff himself didn’t follow others’
He is standing at a crossroad again in life. vocabulary choice “tenor” or “vehicle”, he employed the
He promised he would let no one get in his life after that word “domain” which implies that there is a great meaning
accident. network behind a simple metaphor.
Where would you want to be in your life?
As an 80-year-old man, he has experienced all ups and ACKNOWLEDGMENT
downs in life. This research was financially supported by the
C. Metaphor from Philosophy-of-mind Angle Foundation of Teaching and Research Project The
Cultivation and Practice of Metaphorical Thinking and
The connection between metaphor and philosophy of Competence of Students in College English Teaching (Grant
mind has just been mentioned in recent years. Some scholars, NO. JY2011041)
such as Liao Qiaoyun and Xu Shenghuan[4], noticed that in
understanding how metaphor works and how to understand
such phenomenon, we may take advantage of some REFERENCES
knowledge concerning philosophy, as the two have [1] Jack C. Richard, Richard Schmidt, et al. “Longman Dictionary of
something in common, especially they both get human Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics”, 3rd ed, Beijing:
intellectual involved. Therefore, in How to Understand Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2005.
Metaphor by Mind, they explain the process and the [2] Della Thompson, “Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics”,
mechanism involved in understanding metaphor by way of Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2000
philosophy of mind, which has been quite popular in China [3] Richards, R. H. 1936. The Philosophy of Rhetoric, New York:
and has led to rich results in this field. Oxford University Press
[4] Liao Qiaoyun & Xu Shenghuan, “How to Understand Metaphor by
IV. CONCLUSION Mind”, Journal of Foreign Languages, Vol.35, Mar. 2012, pp.46-52.
[5] Lakoff and Johnson,.1980. Metaphor We Live by, Chicago:
Based on the above discussion, we can understand the University of Chicago Press.
functions of metaphor on our life. Just as Lakoff[5] said,
“Metaphor is omnipresent in our daily life, in our language
and our thought and behavior. The general conceptual
system of our thought and action is basically metaphorical.”
Metaphor provides human beings a method to observe and
understand new and abstract things.
First, metaphor provides possibilities for readers to
understand the writers’ mind. As discussed in “Rhetoric
View of Metaphor,” metaphor has been warmly welcomed
and widely employed in literary works, especially in poetry.
By taking advantage of metaphor, not only can poets express

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