Motivation for target and source

Given that metaphorical mappings are unidirectional, two points of interest arise. The first relates to whether there is a pattern in terms of which conceptual domains typically function as source domains and which function as targets. The second point relates to what might motivate such a pattern. Based on an extensive survey, Kövecses (2002) found that the most common source domains for metaphorical mappings include domains relating to the HUMAN BODY (the heart of the problem), ANIMALS (a sly fox), PLANTS (the fruit of her labour), FOOD (he cooked up a story) and FORCES (don’t push me!). The most common target domains included conceptual categories like EMOTION (she was deeply moved), MORALITY (she resisted the temptation), THOUGHT (I see your point), HUMANRELATIONSHIPS(they built a strong marriage) and TIME (time flies).

Turning to the second point, the prevalent explanation until the mid-1990s was that target concepts tended to be more abstract, lacking physical characteristics and therefore more difficult to understand and talk about in their own terms. In contrast, source domains tended to be more concrete and therefore more readily ‘graspable’. As Kövecses (2002: 20) puts it, ‘Target domains are abstract, diffuse and lack clear delineation; as a result they ‘cry out’ for metaphorical conceptualization.’ The intuition behind this view was that target concepts were often ‘higher-order concepts’: although grounded in more basic embodied experiences, these concepts relate to more complex and abstract experiential knowledge structures. Consider the conceptual domain TIME, an abstract domain par excellence. Time is primarily conceptualised in terms of SPACE, and MOTION through space, as illustrated by the examples in (19).

Lakoff and Johnson (1999) argue that TIME is structured in terms of MOTION because our understanding of TIME emerges from our experience and aware ness of CHANGE, a salient aspect of which involves MOTION. For instance, whenever we travel from place A to place B, we experience CHANGE in location. This type of event also corresponds to a temporal span of a certain duration. From this perspective, our experience of time – that is, our awareness of change– is grounded in more basic experiences like motion events. Lakoff and Johnson argue that this comparison of location at the beginning and end points of a journey, gives rise to our experience of time: embodied experiences like MOTION partially structure the more abstract domain TIME. This gives rise to the general metaphor TIME IS MOTION.

اخر الاخبار

اخبار العتبة العباسية المقدسة

قسم حفظ النظام ينهي استعداداته الخاصة بحفل تخرج طالبات الجامعات العاشر

العتبة العباسية المقدسة تنشر أكاليل الزهور ومظاهر الفرح بمناسبة ذكرى ولادة أمير المؤمنين (عليه السلام)

مجمع الشيخ الكليني يواصل تحضيراته لاستقبال المشاركات في حفل تخرج طالبات الجامعات العاشر

وصول المشاركات في فعاليات مهرجان روح النبوة الثقافي النسوي العالمي الثامن إلى كربلاء

المزيد

الآخبار الصحية

ماذا يحدث لجسمك عند تناول الوجبات السريعة يوميا؟

لصحة عظام المرأة.. الشاي أفضل أم القهوة؟

لبناء العضلات وإنقاص الوزن.. ما أفضل توقيت لتناول البيض؟

أطعمة صحية تساعد على التعافي من "الإنفلونزا الخارقة"

المزيد

الآخبار التكنلوجية

دراسة تكشف قدرة الحيتان على سماع الأصوات منخفضة وعالية التردد من مسافة بعيدة

تجربة جديدة: الأسفلت المدعوم بالطحالب يقاوم الحفر ويقلل الانبعاثات الكربونية

تسريبات تكشف ملامح أول هاتف قابل للطي من "أبل"

رصد نوع نادر من القطط في تايلاند للمرة الأولى منذ عقود

المزيد

مواضيع ذات صلة

Metaphors and image schemas

Metaphor systems

Metaphorical entailments

The unidirectionality of metaphor

Conceptual Metaphor Theory

What is metaphor?

Can the distinction be maintained between Conventional and non-conventional language use?

Literal and figurative language as complex concepts

Literal versus figurative language

Metaphor and metonymy

Categorisation and idealised cognitive models Summary

The structure of ICMs