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Article published In:
MetaNet
Edited by Miriam R.L. Petruck
[Constructions and Frames 8:2] 2016
► pp. 166–213

Formalizing contemporary conceptual metaphor theory

A structured repository for metaphor analysis

| Stanford University
| University of California, Merced
| International Computer Science Institute
| Google, USA

This paper describes an innovative formalization of Conceptual Metaphor Theory and its implementation in a structured metaphor repository. Central to metaphor analysis is the development of an internal structure of frames and relations between frames, based on an Embodied Construction Grammar framework, which then informs the structure of metaphors and relationships between metaphors. The hierarchical nature of metaphors and frames is made explicit, such that inferential information originating in embodied conceptual primitives is inherited throughout the network. The present analysis takes a data-driven approach, where lexical differences in linguistic expressions attested in naturally-occurring discourse lead to a continued refinement and expansion of our analyses.

Keywords: Conceptual Metaphor Theory, metaphor, metaphor formalisms, automated metaphor identification, Frame Semantics, Embodied Construction Grammar, lexical resources
Published online: 6 April 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/cf.8.2.03sti
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