Hermes 23
Metaforhjemmesiden ved Carlo Grevy - ny e-mail

Tilbage Hovedmenu Op Nęste

Nyt - antologi om metaforer, metaforteori, kognitiv semantik og fagsprog

Find the article here

Abstract

In this article I shall discuss some of the results of the empirical findings of my Ph.D. project on metaphors in specialized language, computer language in particular. In my empirical work, I have gathered approximately 3,000 metaphors from 5 numbers of 'PC Magazine Denmark', 1997-1998. Approximately 500 of these are highway metaphors. I shall start with a criticism of Lakoff & Johnson's empirical basis which in my view deals with idealized metaphors rather than real metaphors. I shall argue that we have to concern ourselves about how metaphors are used in restricted areas, if we want to say something essential about how metaphors really work. I shall also introduce the term integrated metaphors which is essential to understanding how metaphors work. They do not work separately from each other, on the contrary: they work because they form an integral part of other metaphors in the same semantic field. I shall close this issue with a specific discussion of the status of Lakoff & Johnson's metaphors, in which I shall focus on Layoff's issue on the metaphors used in the Gulf War.