Metaphors in real-time: Evidence for ‘affective models’

Lynne Cameron

The Open University

A cognitive view of metaphor

Metaphor is “only derivatively a linguistic phenomenon” (Kövecses, 2005, p. 8)

A socio-cognitive view of metaphor Metaphor has its existence in the dialogic

dynamics of discourse. It is a matter of both language and thought or talking-and-thinking. Many metaphors work as affective models

through embodiment perception and simulation socio-cultural convention

The data

ESRC New Security Challenges programme “Perception and Communication of Terrorist Risk” 12 focus groups, N =96

London / Leeds men / women Muslim / non-Muslim A-B / C1-C2 socio-economic status

Transcribed recordings: 213K words Metaphor analysis

The indeterminacy of metaphor implicit metaphor topics: the use of source

domain / vehicle terms in the ‘topic flow’ of the talk

the reach of a metaphor vehicle across the talk

metaphor shifting in the dynamics of talk interplay of metaphor, metonymy and literal

language

Understanding metaphors in real time talk cultural knowledge of vehicle or source

domain ‘models’ tightly-defined meanings packed into

metaphoremes ‘affective coherence’ across topic flow.

The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of social positioningSOCIAL POSITIONING IS PHYSICAL POSITIONING

the middle east situation

the situation here

The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of social positioning

in Leeds

over in the Czech Republic

The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of social positioning

in gangs

in London

The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of social positioning

in gangs

in London

people will look down on you

The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of social positioning

in gangs

in London

people will look down on you

up town

up in Stockwell

up north

Natura morta

Giorgio Morandi

1956

The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of social positioningPEOPLE

she was taking it to extremes

people close to you,

The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of social positioningNATIONS

divisions between the nations,

build the bridges.

.. hatred on both sides.

.. hatred on both sides.

The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of social positioningFAMILIES

one side of your family was Irish

The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of social positioningCOMMUNITIES

community cohesion

and everybody's intermingled. integrated

you are at the interface ..of this ..situation,

using the scope of the metaphor~modelspreading this culture of hatred,

.. that was washing around the country,

this is where terrorism starts from.

like a much more distant threat

it’s ignorance that drives people apart

he turned round and said

Coding affect into the language of metaphor:Physical-and-speech-action expressions

<turn round and say> is a metaphoreme with the following stabilised characteristics:

the physical action of turning round is metaphorical the speech action is likely to be hypothetical rather than real affectively, there is implied opposition, dislike or distrust between

speaker and those reported to say in the hypothetical scenario, and/or what is said.

the grammatical form of the physical and speech action verbs is likely to be turn/say or turns/says, i.e. simple present tense or root form

a modal verb occurs in about 50% of uses.I mean using that argument you could turn round and say Rambo’s OK

who might turn round and say all right so in life there are ...

Physical-and-speech-action expressions stand up and say have the finger pointed at them and said came forward and said came up to me and said come out and say (America, UK) go into other countries and say go out and stand on a cardboard box and say bringing your own little part of Islam into this country

and saying look at and say

Embodied metaphor / metonymy

Last month, Len and Helen Prior - a British couple who had retired to a small village in Almeria, southern Spain - hit the headlines as they watched their home being bulldozed. When Len Prior collapsed as his home came tumbling down, it seemed to sum up the hopes of retired Britons like him, who had gone to Spain in search of a new life. It sounded a warning, too, of the traps that lie in wait for unwary buyers.

The Guardian, Weds 6 February 2008.

Affect and metaphors of terrorism public perceptions of social issues and

international events are strongly shaped by the dominant metaphors (of media and political discourse).

(Deignan 2005, p. 131)

WAR is other peoples’ metaphor terrorists do see it as war;

Blair’s excuse for a war.

Terrorism is

negative action perpetrated by cowards it's a form of blackmail, it's a form of bullying, it’s hit and run.

violent action on society, affectively they could strike anywhere; the London bombings would have had a big

impact; was just so devastating.

Target as metaphor connecting to the ordinary and the innocent it’s mostly people that are targeted; old people are a target; they’re aiming at innocent people.

soft target

Terrorism as disturbing social and mental balance the world's out of balance stir everything up in this time of unrest upsets the fragile .. peace they try to disrupt the government

After a period of time, things settle down go back to normal.

GAMES OF CHANCE metaphors they will play that bluff the terrorists just stepped up their game

we get caught up in a poker game a game of bluff it’s like a lottery really lottery odds; if your number’s up; pawns in a game

GAMES OF CHANCE metaphorsAUTHORITIES or is it..just CIA playing around with people's

minds? you don’t want to play into the hands of the

terrorists they’re actually dicing with your life

GAMES metaphors

don't let them bea- beat you it's like this <Q don't let the system beat you

Q>.

it's not a level playing field on the total sense of fair play.

NATURAL WORLD metaphors there’s always a bad apple, there are bad onions in every sack locking the door after the horse has bolted

Metaphors in real-time talk

Metaphors emerge as more or less coherent vehicle meanings are dropped into the talk

with more or less determined connections with the ‘topic flow’.

Metaphorical connections are ‘well enough’ determined for people to understand each other: through cultural knowledge of large scale metaphors (and

these are like ‘models’) through the tightly-defined meanings packed into

metaphoremes through ‘affective coherence’ across topic flow.