Studies in Figurative Thought and Language

Download or read book Studies in Figurative Thought and Language written by Angeliki Athanasiadou and published by John Benjamins Publishing Company. This book was released on 2017-04-26 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume contains original research and innovative analyses that deepen our understanding of figurative thought and language. The selected papers focus on the multi-faceted aspect of figuration, its function in thought, and its impact on areas of grammar and communication. Key topics explored include metaphor, metonymy and their relationship to each other, as well as the less studied figure of hyperbole and its relation to the fundamental figures of metaphor and metonymy. Collectively, the papers examine the pragmatic reasoning processes triggered by figurative thought, the lexicogrammatical motivations and/or constraints on figurative language, the impact of deeply entrenched figurative thought on the lexicon of natural languages, the cultural origins of figurative thought, and the psycholinguistic motivations for figuration. The comprehensive treatment of these issues is fundamental for future research on figurative thought and language, particularly on questions of universality vs. specificity of figuration, the impact of figuration on constructions, cross-linguistic comparisons of figurative language, and cognitive-pragmatic approaches to figurative meaning.