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Metaphor and the Social World
Vol. 7:2 (2017) ► pp.291–299
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A note about meta-metaphors

Considering the theoretical implications of terms used to discuss metaphor

| Portland State University
Although it is difficult to avoid metaphorical language in discussing and theorizing about communication, language, and metaphor itself, the metaphors we use have entailments that may not be consistent with the analyses they are intended to support. This essay discusses and compares the implications of some of the most common ‘meta-metaphors,’ metaphors used in discussions of metaphor.
Keywords: metaphor, meta-metaphor, terminology
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Argument and data
    • The word or phrase used metaphorically (“exit,” “heart of stone” “stonewall”)
    • The word, phrase, concept, or entity to which the metaphor is applied
    • What the metaphor is about, the idea that it expresses
    • The overarching concept or set of concepts from which a metaphor is drawn
    • Establishing, discerning, or explaining a relationship between a metaphorical phrase and what it refers to
    • Effects of metaphors on public discourse
  • 3.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Note
  • References


This article is currently available as a sample article.

Published online: 20 November 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/msw.7.2.07rit
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