CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR THEORY

DEFINITION

Conceptual metaphor theory (CMT) posits that metaphor is not merely a linguistic device but a
fundamental cognitive process that structures our understanding of abstract concepts by mapping them
onto more concrete domains. The theory suggests that conceptual metaphors are pervasive in thought
and language, influencing how we perceive and reason about the world.

PROPONENTS

It was pioneered by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson in their book "Metaphors We Live By" (1980)

SALIENT POINTS

1. Metaphors are all-pervasive

Lakoff and Johnson argued that metaphors are ubiquitous in language, extending beyond artistic
expression to influence everyday speech and thought. They demonstrated this by collecting
metaphorical examples from various sources, illustrating how abstract concepts are often understood in
terms of more concrete ones.

2. Systematic mappings between domains

Conceptual metaphors involve systematic correspondences between two domains of experience,

known as the source and target domains. For example, the conceptual metaphor "ANGER IS FIRE" maps
elements of the domain of fire onto the domain of anger, allowing us to understand anger in terms of
concepts related to fire, such as intensity and causation.

3. From concrete to abstract domains

CMT suggests that conceptual metaphors typically involve mapping from more concrete, tangible
domains (e.g., fire, journey) to more abstract ones (e.g., anger, life). This directionality reflects the
human tendency to conceptualize complex or intangible concepts in terms of familiar, physical
experiences.

4. Metaphors primarily occur in thought

Metaphors not only shape language but also influence thought processes. CMT distinguishes between
linguistic metaphors, expressed in language, and conceptual metaphors, which underpin cognitive
structures. For instance, the metaphor "LIFE IS A JOURNEY" can govern how we think about life,
influencing goal-setting, planning, and decision-making.

5. Conceptual metaphors are grounded

The pairing of source and target domains in conceptual metaphors is often grounded in perceived
similarities or correlations between them. While some metaphors arise from direct resemblance, others,
known as primary metaphors, emerge from correlations in human experience. These primary metaphors
are based on abstract, preconceptual structures called image schemas.

TEXT WORLD THEORY

DEFINITION

Text World Theory is a cognitive-linguistic model of human discourse processing. Its theoretical
underpinnings can be traced to a number of diverse academic disciplines, including possible worlds
theory, cognitive psychology, cognitive linguistics, and stylistics.

The basic premise of Text World Theory is that human beings process and understand all discourse by
constructing mental representations of it in their minds. Text World Theory aims to provide the
analytical tools necessary for the systematic examination and discussion of these mental
representations, or text-worlds

PROPONENT
The text-world approach to discourse was originally developed by Professor Paul Werth during the
1980s and 1990s.

SALIENT POINTS

1. Text World Theory focuses on constructing mental representations called "text worlds" which are
context-sensitive and allow for incrementation, facilitating the transfer of knowledge from private to
public realms.

2. Readers engage in experiential image-mapping when understanding texts, projecting themselves

spatio-temporally onto an enactor, which could be any element guiding them through a text world,
leading to degrees of empathetic identification with characters or participants.

3. The principle of text-drivenness accounts for activating a variety of reader knowledges in a text, such
as cultural, linguistic, and contextual understandings necessary for comprehension.

4. Text World Theory differentiates between the discourse world, which includes immediate
communication situations, and the text world, constructed through discourse, allowing for varying
degrees of coherence and verification between them.

5. Text World Theory introduces evaluative criteria such as world-building elements and function-
advancing propositions, borrowed from functional linguistic notions, to analyze different genres and
modal worlds, providing insights into epistemological checks on language and the use of obligation.

REFERENCES :

(PDF) conceptual metaphor theory. (n.d.-b).

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311403391_Conceptual_metaphor_theory
About text world theory. Text World Theory. (2018, October 16). https://textworldtheory.org/about/

Gavins, Joanna. text world theory: An introduction. (2007) ... (n.d.-a).

https://english.fullerton.edu/publications/clnArchives/pdf/Kohn-Text%20World%20Theory.pdf