Metaphor in Culture: Universality and Variation

To what extent and in what ways is metaphorical thought relevant to an understanding of culture and society? More specifically: can the cognitive linguistic view of metaphor simultaneously explain both universality and diversity in metaphorical thought? Cognitive linguists have done important work on universal aspects of metaphor, but they have paid much less attention to why metaphors vary both interculturally and intraculturally as extensively as they do. In this book, Zoltán Kovecses proposes a new theory of metaphor variation. First, he identifies the major dimension of metaphor variation, that is, those social and cultural boundaries that signal discontinuities in human experience. Second, he describes which components, or aspects of conceptual metaphor are involved in metaphor variation, and how they are involved. Third, he isolates the main causes of metaphor variation. Fourth Professor Kovecses addresses the issue to the degree of cultural coherence in the interplay among conceptual metaphors, embodiment, and causes of metaphor variation. Read more Continue reading Read less BOOK DESCRIPTION
This exciting book proposes a new theory of metaphor variation. --This text refers to the hardcover edition. REVIEW
"Kovecses convincingly demonstrates in what ways a healthy theory of metaphor needs to take into account the role of (sub) culture."
Charles Forceville, University of Amsterdam --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Zoltán Kovecses is Professor of Linguistics, Department of American Studies, Eotvos Lorand University. He is the author of Metaphor and Emotion (2002) , and Metaphor: A Practical Introduction (2000) . --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. BOOK DESCRIPTION
Cognitive linguists have done important work on universal aspects of metaphor, but they have paid much less attention to why metaphors vary both interculturally and intraculturally as extensively as they do. In this book, Zoltán Kovecses proposes a new theory of metaphor variation. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Read more Continue reading Read less