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Article published In:
Metaphor and the Social World
Vol. 8:1 (2018) ► pp.1–24

Text metaphtonymy

The interplay of metonymy and metaphor in discourse

| University of Westminster

This article starts by looking at the various ways metonymic and metaphoric thinking, as independent phenomena, organize text at discourse level. The literature on metaphor in discourse is classified under three broad categories, ‘metaphor clusters’, ‘metaphor chains’ and ‘extended metaphor’, while the less extensive body of research on metonymy in discourse is analyzed into parallel categories, ‘metonymy clusters’, ‘metonymy chains’ and ‘extended metonymy’. The article goes on to look at the ways in which metonymy-in-discourse and metaphor-in-discourse phenomena combine in making meaning at text level. The interplay of metonymy and metaphor in discourse, referred to here as ‘text metaphtonymy’, is explored under headings adapted from Goossens (1990), namely, ‘metaphor within metonymy’ and ‘metonymy within metaphor’. The ways in which metonymy and metaphor combine at discourse level are shown to be varied and intricate. This has implications for applied linguists working with text. The direction further work in this area might take is indicated.

Keywords: chains, clusters, extended metaphor, extended metonymy, discourse, metaphor, metaphtonymy, metonymy, text
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Metaphor in discourse
    • 2.1Metaphor clusters
    • 2.2Metaphor chains
    • 2.3Extended metaphor
  • 3.Metonymy in discourse
    • 3.1Metonymy clusters
    • 3.2Metonymy chains
    • 3.3Extended metonymy
  • 4.Text metaphtonymy
    • 4.1Metonymy within metaphor
    • 4.2Metaphor within metonymy
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 7 May 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/msw.16011.den
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