The study of metaphor

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Introduction
 It is true that all of us speak in metaphors
whether we realize it or not. In Metaphors We
Live By by George Lakoff, a linguist, and Mark
Johnson, a philosopher, suggest that
metaphors not only make our thoughts more
vivid and interesting but that they actually
structure our perceptions and understanding.
 Thinking of marriage as a “contract agreement,” for
example, leads to one set of expectations, while
thinking of it as ‘team works”, “a negotiated new
settlement,” ‘Russian roulette,” “a lasting merger,”
or “a religious sacrament” /mitsaqon
gholidho/ikatan suci” will carry different sets of
expectations.
 When a government thinks of its enemies as
‘turkeys” or “clowns” it does not take them as
serious threats, but if they said that they are
“pawns”(pion/bidak) in the hands of the
communists, they will be taken seriously indeed.
What is metaphor?
 The direct comparison of two unlike/different
entities.
 Usually it uses the concrete form to describe

the abstract entity.

 Concrete forms: tiger, sugar, car, bullet, lake,

ocean, water, journey etc.

 Abstract forms: life, love, happiness,
creativity, spirituality etc.
The structure of metaphor
 There are two parts: tenor and vehicle
 Tenor is the subject matter, the point of

discussion, the things that the

communicator/the writer/speaker wants to
discuss with the
communicant/reader/listener.
 Vehicle is the means or language tools which

is used to describe abstract matters.

Some Examples
 LIFE IS A JOURNEY.
 Life is tenor, the subject matter whereas journey

is the vehicle, the word used by the writer as

the means to understand the concept of life.
 “journey” is concrete visible thing. We can easily

understand that journey has a starting point,

obstacles,provision and final destination.
Similarly “Life” has a baby born as the beginning
of the “life journey” and death as the end of the
journey.
Conceptual mapping
 The conceptual mapping can been seen here:
LIFE IS A JOURNEY.
- The person leading a life is a traveler.
- His purposes are destinations.
- The means for achieving purposes are routes.
- Difficulties in life are obstacles to travel
- motivator/Counselors are guides.
- Progress is the distance travelled.
- - Progress is the distance travelled
- Things you passed on your progress are the
landmarks/landscape.
- Material resources and talents are provisions.
 The conception of the metaphor LIFE IS A
JOURNEY can be applied into other examples
 like what have been said by (in Ortony
1993:206) like the metaphor of LOVE IS A
JOURNEY
- Our relationship has hit a dead-end street.
- We can’t turn back now.
- We’re at the crossroads.
- The relationship isn’t going anywhere.
- We’re spinning our wheels.
- Our relationship is off the track.
Argument is war

 In the very first chapter of their book, Lakoff and Johnson

use the metaphor argument is war to illustrate how
arguments are often viewed, practiced and experienced.
Consider the following statements:
 He attacked every weak point in my argument.
 Your claims are indefensible.
 His criticisms were right on target.
 I demolished his argument.
 I never won an argument with him.
 You disagree? Okay, shoot!
 If you use that strategy, he'll wipe you out.
 He shot down all my arguments.
 It should be understood that the above metaphorical
conception is not the only form, but there
are hundreds and thousands form and mental
domain mapping which compared on mental domain
to
other mental domain like what had been elaborate
by Lakoff in the metaphor of LIFE IS A
JOURNEY, CHANGE IS MOTION, CAUSES ARE FORCES,
SEEING IS KNOWING, THINKING AS BODY MOVEMENT,
TIME PASSING IS A MOVEMENT OVER A LANDSCAPE
etc.
Exercise for students
 Try to find the tenor and vehicle and describe
the context of each metaphorical expression:
 1. poem is a bird
 2. jealousy is a bullet/cemburu adl peluru.
 3. life is a game
 4.time is money
 5. my father is the lion of the desert
 Thank you
 faizrisd@gmail.com

 @pakfaizal
 www.pakfaizal.com