Metaphor Research and the Hebrew Bible

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-285
Author(s):  
Mason D. Lancaster
Keyword(s):  
Hebrew Bible ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Recent Developments

This article provides an overview of metaphor theories and research on their own terms, as well as their use in Hebrew Bible (HB) studies. Though metaphor studies in the HB have become increasingly popular, they often draw upon a limited or dated subset of metaphor scholarship. The first half of this article surveys a wide variety of metaphor scholarship from the humanities (philosophical, poetic, rhetorical) and the sciences (e.g., conceptual metaphor theory), beginning with Aristotle but focusing on more recent developments. The second half overviews studies of metaphor in the HB since 1980, surveying works focused on theory and method; works focused on specific biblical books or metaphor domains; and finally noting current trends and suggesting areas for future research.

Recent developments in metaphor theory

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoltán Kövecses
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Relevance Theory ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Stage Process ◽  
Input Hypothesis ◽  
Alternative Theories

Several scholars have proposed alternative views to conceptual metaphor theory (see, for example, Ortony, 1993; Barnden, 2006; Wilson and Carston, 2006, 2008; Vega, 2007; Gibbs, 2008). How are the modified, refined, and alternative theories related to each other and standard conceptual metaphor theory, and which theory provides the best account of the phenomenon of metaphor? The particular approaches I will consider in this paper include the theory of metaphor as categorization, standard conceptual metaphor theory, blending theory, the neural theory of metaphor, conceptual metaphor theory as based on the idea of main meaning focus, and relevance theory. I will present the various theories through the analysis of a single metaphorical sentence: This surgeon is a butcher. I will propose that conceptual metaphor theory as based on the idea of the main meaning focus gives us a good way of characterizing the emergence of the sentence’s meaning. This characterization consists of a four-stage process. First, there exist two independent conceptual categories: BUTCHERY and SURGERY. Second, due to the similarity between the two, a metaphorical relationship is established between them. Third, the property of incompetence emerges in the concept of BUTCHERY in light of and against the background of the concept of SURGERY. Fourth, this property is projected into the blend, in which the property will now characterize the surgeon. I will point out that this approach is compatible with several other views, such as Ruiz de Mendoza’s Combined Input Hypothesis and with aspects of relevance theory.

Reanimating the Body in Conceptual Metaphor Theory

2019 ◽  
pp. 18-46
Author(s):  
Elisabeth El Refaie
Keyword(s):  
Human Body ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
The Body ◽  
Social Semiotics ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Body Shapes

This chapter critically reviews the traditional notion of embodiment in Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), arguing that it is characterized by a somewhat inflexible view of the way the human body shapes one’s thinking. Probing more recent developments in CMT, including dynamic systems approaches and cross-cultural studies of metaphor, and confronting these with key theories from phenomenology, psychology, social semiotics, and media theory, the original notion of dynamic embodiment is developed. Accordingly, the degree to which people draw on their own bodies when producing and interpreting metaphors depends not only on the cultural practices and the specific actions in which they are engaged at any given moment, but also on the degree to which they are consciously aware of their physicality, as well as the affordances of the modes and media they are using to communicate.

Automatic metaphor detection using constructions and frames

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jisup Hong
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Construction Grammar ◽  
Computational Resource ◽  
Frame Semantics ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Relative Success ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Conceptual Network

This paper presents MetaNet’s automatic metaphor detection system that applies theoretical principles from construction grammar, frame semantics, and recent developments in conceptual metaphor theory, including the theory of cascades (Lakoff 2014). The system has achieved relative success in identifying metaphorical expressions for a range of target domains from large corpora and holds promise as a useful tool for corpus-based study of metaphor. The detection system relies on MetaNet’s conceptual network of frames and metaphors as a computational resource for its functionality, and improves automatically as the representations stored in the network are built up. In addition, because of its theoretically principled design the system’s level of accuracy at identifying metaphorical expressions provides feedback to linguists about the accuracy of the frame and metaphor analyses in the network.

scholarly journals The Effect of Valenced Facial Expressions on Vertical Selective Attention

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Marie-Louise Beintmann
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Mood Induction ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Emotional Facial Expressions ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Negative Valence ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Positive Valence

<p>Research using mood induction (Wapner, Werner & Krus, 1957) or positive/negative word stimuli, (Meier & Robinson, 2004) as well as studies using participants pre-existing neurotic/depressive symptoms (Meier & Robinson, 2006) have documented the ability of emotional stimuli and states to shift attention upwards (positive emotion) or downwards (negative emotion) in space. This study aimed to investigate whether this impact of emotion on vertical attention extended to briefly presented facial expressions. A within-subjects, modified version of Meier and Robinson’s (2004) Study 2 formed the design for these experiments. Experiments 1- 4 tested the ability of arrows, shapes and emotional facial expressions to shift vertical attention. Results indicate that for both schematic (Exp.2) and real (Exp. 4) faces, positive valence (happy expression) shifted attention upwards, but there was no evidence of the negative valence (sad expression) shifting attention downwards, giving partial support to the conceptual metaphor theory. No evidence of positive valence broadening - or negative valence narrowing - vertical attention was found in support of Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory (Exps.2 & 4). The current research has provided partial further support for the conceptual metaphor theory and advanced knowledge in the area of emotion and vertical attention using pictorial stimuli such as facial expressions. It also provides some direction for future research in this area, highlighting key issues to be resolved.</p>

scholarly journals The Effect of Valenced Facial Expressions on Vertical Selective Attention

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Marie-Louise Beintmann
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Mood Induction ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Emotional Facial Expressions ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Negative Valence ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Positive Valence

<p>Research using mood induction (Wapner, Werner & Krus, 1957) or positive/negative word stimuli, (Meier & Robinson, 2004) as well as studies using participants pre-existing neurotic/depressive symptoms (Meier & Robinson, 2006) have documented the ability of emotional stimuli and states to shift attention upwards (positive emotion) or downwards (negative emotion) in space. This study aimed to investigate whether this impact of emotion on vertical attention extended to briefly presented facial expressions. A within-subjects, modified version of Meier and Robinson’s (2004) Study 2 formed the design for these experiments. Experiments 1- 4 tested the ability of arrows, shapes and emotional facial expressions to shift vertical attention. Results indicate that for both schematic (Exp.2) and real (Exp. 4) faces, positive valence (happy expression) shifted attention upwards, but there was no evidence of the negative valence (sad expression) shifting attention downwards, giving partial support to the conceptual metaphor theory. No evidence of positive valence broadening - or negative valence narrowing - vertical attention was found in support of Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory (Exps.2 & 4). The current research has provided partial further support for the conceptual metaphor theory and advanced knowledge in the area of emotion and vertical attention using pictorial stimuli such as facial expressions. It also provides some direction for future research in this area, highlighting key issues to be resolved.</p>

“He Will Cast their Sins into the Depths of the Sea . . .” Exodus Allusions and the Personification of Sin in Micah 7:7-20

2017 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-203
Author(s):  
Lesley DiFransico
Keyword(s):  
Hebrew Bible ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Metaphorical Language ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Divine Forgiveness ◽  
Insight Into

Attending to allusions to Exodus 15 within Micah 7 provides insight into the metaphorical language of Mic 7:18-20. The human enemy of the Exodus is reinterpreted in the exilic context of Micah; the people’s own sins—the cause for their oppression—must be subdued by God, i.e. forgiven, and cast into the depths of the sea (7:19) so they may be freed from the consequences. This unusual metaphor for sin corresponds with a metaphor for redemption unparalleled in the Hebrew Bible: divine forgiveness is conceptualized as the physical domination and removal of an enemy, i.e. sin. Utilizing the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (cmt) of G. Lakoff and M. Johnson, this article will analyze such metaphors in light of Exodus themes.

Metaphor, Cognition, Culture

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoltán Kövecses
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
The Other ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Conceptual Metaphors ◽  
Culture And Cognition ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
The One ◽  
Cultural Reality ◽  
Metaphor And Metonymy

The chapter reports on work concerned with the issue of how conceptual metaphor theory (CMT) functions as a link between culture and cognition. Three large areas are investigated to this effect. First, work on the interaction between conceptual metaphors, on the one hand, and folk and expert theories of emotion, on the other, is surveyed. Second, the issue of metaphorical universality and variation is addressed, together with that of the function of embodiment in metaphor. Third, a contextualist view of conceptual metaphors is proposed. The discussion of these issues leads to a new and integrated understanding of the role of metaphor and metonymy in creating cultural reality and that of metaphorical variation across and within cultures, as well as individuals.

scholarly journals Conceptualizations of the Heart in Jordanian Arabic: A Cognitive Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Omar Bani Mofarrej ◽  
Ghaleb Rabab'ah
Keyword(s):  
Human Body ◽  
Human Heart ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Cognitive Perspective ◽  
Jordanian Arabic ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Idiomatic Expressions ◽  
Levantine Arabic

The present paper examines the metaphorical and metonymical conceptualizations of the heart in Jordanian Arabic (JA) within the framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory developed by Lakoff and Johnson (1980). The main aim is to explore how the human heart is conceptualized in JA, and to test the applicability of the different general cognitive mechanisms proposed by Niemeier (2003 and 2008) to those found in JA. The data were extracted from Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions in Levantine Arabic: Jordanian Dialect (Alzoubi, 2020), and other resources including articles, dissertations and books of Arabic proverbs. The findings revealed that all the four general cognitive mechanisms suggested by Niemeier (2003 and 2008) are applicable to JA. The findings also showed that the similarity derives from the universal aspects of the human body, which lends tremendous support to the embodiment hypothesis proposed by cognitive linguists. 

scholarly journals Beauty And The Beast From A Cognitive Linguistic Perspective: Animal Metaphors For Women In Serbian And Romanian

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANNAMARIA KILYENI ◽  
NADEŽDA SILAŠKI
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Physical Appearance ◽  
Linguistic Analysis ◽  
Character Traits ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Beauty And The Beast ◽  
Cognitive Linguistic ◽  
Metaphor Theory

Abstract Under the theoretical wing of Conceptual Metaphor Theory, we present a contrastive cognitive and linguistic analysis of the women are animals metaphor as used in Romanian and Serbian. Our main aim is to establish whether the names of the same animals are used in the two languages to conceptualise women and their various characteristics (particularly physical appearance and character traits), or alternatively, whether the two languages exhibit any linguistic or conceptual differences in this regard.

Once Upon a Time in the Realm of Notions : The Conceptualisation of Novak Djokovic-Inspired Personality Shifts

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Nenad Blaženović ◽  
Emir Muhić
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
The Other ◽  
Tennis Player ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Conceptual Metaphors ◽  
Bilingual Speakers ◽  
Metaphor Theory

An analysis was carried out with two interviews given by the tennis-player Novak Djokovic, one of which was in English and the other in his native Serbian. In both instances, Novak Djokovic used many conceptual metaphors throughout his speech, some of which were analysed in more detail. The main premise of the research was that people’s personalities change in accordance with language they speak at any given time and that they use different conceptual metaphors to describe the same events in different languages. The aim of the paper was to investigate whether personality shift in bilingual speakers can be observed through the speaker’s use of conceptual metaphors in different languages. Through the framework of conceptual metaphor theory, it was shown that Djokovic’s personality does change with the language he speaks. This change was shown through the conceptual metaphors, i.e., source and target domains that Djokovic used during the interviews. He does indeed use different source domains to conceptualise the same target domains in different languages.

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