Structural similarity in figurative language: A preliminary cognitive analysis

Abstract

Structural similarity may be based on the structural characteristics of concrete entities (e.g., the heart relates to blood circulation in the way that a pump to a hydraulic system) or on the structural properties of situations and events (e.g., Your words were a dagger to my heart compares the emotional damage done by the hearer’s words to the physical harm caused by a dagger). In combination with metonymy, structural similarity gives rise to paragon-based antonomasia and allegory-like narratives. An example of paragon-based antonomasia is the Lennon of football, which, said about a great player, is based on structural similarity: the player and the musician are masters, each in his domain of expertise. Allegory-like narratives rely on a form of high-level structural similarity where each entity-denoting target element is elaborated through the member-for-class metonymy. For example, in “The Prodigal Son”, the regretful son’s return to his father asking for forgiveness represents any repentant sinner. In terms of structural similarity, God is to a repentant sinner what the forgiving father is to his returning son. Drawing on a selection of examples, this article reexamines the contribution of different types of structural similarity to figurative reasoning at various degrees of abstractness and complexity.