THE

COGNITIVE METAPHOR THEORY

VISUAL

METAPHORS

MULTIMODAL

METAPHORS (VERBO-VISUAL)

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

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

LOVE IS A JOURNEY (small capitals)*: love

is often understood in terms of a
journey
Mappings

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:

Look how far weve come

We are at crossroads
Well just have to go our separate ways
I dont 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
(Kvecses,
2010:4)

Target domain

the

conceptual
domain
that
is
understood this way is the target
domain (Kvecses, 2010:4)

The MIP (metaphor identification

procedure) develops as follows:

Read
the
entire
textdiscourse
to
establish general understanding of the
meaning;

Determine the lexical

textdiscourse;

units

in

the

The MIP (metaphor identification

procedure) develops as follows:

(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
-

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

frequent meanings of the lexical unit.

most

(c) If the lexical unit has a more basic

currentcontemporary
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.

If yes, mark
metaphorical.

the

lexical

unit

as

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 abovementioned
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

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

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