Abstract
Traditional rhetoric theory regards metaphor and metonymy as two literary rhetoric devices. Modern cognitive linguistics believes that metaphor does not only exist in the field of literature. Metaphor is not only a rhetorical device but also a way of thinking. However, the current research on metaphor and metonymy is still limited to the English language world. Hence, there is a lack of knowledge and research on metaphor and metonymy across languages and cultures. This paper begins with an overview of metaphor from the perspective of modern cognitive linguistics. Then, it expounds on the differences between metaphor and metonymy from two aspects of structure and function. Besides, this paper analyzes the differences between metaphor and metonymy with examples based on the Chinese cultural background.
Highlights
Traditional rhetoric theory regards metaphor and metonymy as two literary rhetoric devices
Metonymy can be regarded as composed of three parts: “metaphor tenor,” “metaphor vehicle,” and “metaphor ground.”
This work’s greatest contribution lies in the preliminary construction of conceptual system theory and the essence of metaphor, which opens up a new way of thinking for metaphor research and has since realized a cognitive turn in metaphor research
Summary
In the western cultural tradition, the concept and scope of humanities have undergone long-term changes, and how people understand language has undergone continuous changes. Cognitive linguists believe that metaphor and metonymy do not exist in literary categories but are a way of thinking. Mark Johnson and George Lakoff have conducted an in-depth study on metaphor and believe that metaphor is the key to fully explaining human understanding (1980). Lakoff & Johnson studied metaphor from the perspective of linguistic cognition for the first time. Their greatest contribution lies in the preliminary construction of conceptual system theory and the essence of metaphor and opens up new ideas for metaphor research. They have made an in-depth analysis of metaphor and put forward unique ideas. Since relying on metaphor theory, scholars in different fields such as literature, law, language, philosophy, science, and so on, have applied metaphor, enriching our visions and deepening the profundity in different disciplines
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