The paradox of metaphor: Why we need a three-dimensional model for metaphor.

G.J. Steen

    Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Abstract

    Current research findings on metaphor in language and thought may be interpreted as producing a paradox of metaphor; that is, most metaphor is not processed metaphorically by a cross-domain mapping involving some form of comparison. This paradox can be resolved by attending to one crucial aspect of metaphor in communication: the question whether metaphor is used as deliberately metaphorical or not. It is likely that most deliberate metaphor is processed metaphorically (by comparison), as opposed to most nondeliberate metaphor, which may be assumed to be typically not processed metaphorically (that is, by categorization). This resolves the paradox of metaphor because it suggests that all "metaphor in communication" (all deliberate metaphor) is processed metaphorically. Detailed comments are offered on the notion of metaphor deliberateness and on the nature of a three-dimensional model of metaphor in discourse involving metaphor in language, thought, and communication.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)213-241
    Number of pages29
    JournalMetaphor and Symbol
    Volume23
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2008

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