Not every metaphor in action is a metaphor in action. Metaphors in language and thought are not always processed via analogy or cross-domain mapping in individual cognition or social interaction. This is the paradox of metaphor, but how does it work? Discover the key issues for metaphor in action as formulated by DMT, which can explain the paradox of metaphor.
The key issues are organized according to the basic parameters of all language use. When people use language, they work with one or more utterances. These involve language (verbal structures and functions), individual processes and products of cognition (production and comprehension), social processes and products of interaction (sending and receiving), and the discourse event within which language is used. A discourse event itself involves the use of text in code in context; just like any utterance, a discourse event has its own structures and functions, individual processes of cognition, and social process of interaction.
Metaphor in language use involves the various structures and functions of meaning that are used in utterances containing metaphorical expressions.
Metaphor in individual cognition includes the various psychological processes and products involved in metaphor production and comprehension.
Metaphor in social interaction comprises the interpersonal turns and moves in language use between people.
Metaphor in discourse events takes us away from the structures and processes in language use and turns us to metaphor in higher levels of meaning, cognition, and interaction by means of text and visuals.
The central thesis in DMT is twofold:
- variation in the language structures and functions of metaphor interacts with variation in the individual and social processes and products of language use
- both metaphor structure and process are affected by, but also contribute to, the (structures and processes of the) discourse event in which all of this is situated.
Metaphor is not one thing. And not every metaphor in action is a metaphor in action.