On Metaphoric Inversion

    Authors

    P. D. Deane

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Metaphor Symb. Act.

    Keywords

    Similarity; Asymmetry; Language & Linguistics; Psychology, Experimental

    Abstract

    This article examines examples of metaphoric inversion, pairs of conceptual metaphors that employ the same metaphoric mapping but exhibit reversed topic-vehicle orientation. This phenomenon includes such pairs as ''PEOPLE ARE COMPUTERS'' versus ''COMPUTERS ARE PEOPLE''. It is an unusual phenomenon because the usual effect of reversing a metaphor is anomaly or a complete shift in the metaphor's conceptual ground. Analysis suggests an underlying asymmetry despite the common ground. One of the metaphors in the pair functions as an ordinary personification or anthropomorphism, not taken seriously or extended beyond its areas of obvious applicability to the topic. The other metaphor seems, by contrast, often to carry moral or philosophical overtones and to be actively extended in a way that undermines the entrenched attributes of its topic.

    Journal Title

    Metaphor and Symbolic Activity

    Volume

    8

    Issue/Number

    2

    Publication Date

    1-1-1993

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    111

    Last Page

    126

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:A1993LT48700003

    ISSN

    0885-7253

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