A Corpus-based Study on the Dynamics of Metaphor in Mandarin Interactive Discourse
Date Issued
2012
Date
2012
Author(s)
Atta Nien, Ya-ting
Abstract
This study aims to bridge methodological and theoretical gaps in the study of metaphor.Methodologically, it supplements the discourse analytic studies on metaphor which are less tackled. Theoretically, to grasp the authentic and dynamic nature of metaphorical language, metaphor is proposed to be examined in on-line interaction so that we can fully understand its
use, which is a product of both language and thought. That is, we propose on-line interaction is effective to actual realization of metaphor, which requires independent investigation. Based on Cameron et al’s (2009) framework, Discourse Dynamic Approach, we analyze the dynamic systems found underlying the target interactive discourse here.
There are three research questions in this study. First, how does metaphor in on-line interaction show the dynamic systems behind the processing and production of speech and thought? Second, how do patterns of metaphorical use across discourse genres reflect the similarities and differences of metaphor in talk? Third, how does conventionality correlate
with the dynamic use of metaphor? The results and discussions are explicated in two chapters. Chapters 4 discusses the nature and complex structures of metaphor in interactive discourse, as well as comparison and contrasts of patterns of metaphorical use across discourse genres. Discourse genre is a
dependent variable that allows additional comparison and contrasts of the results.
The method is both corpus-driven and corpus-based. In addition, although the corpus is systematically collected to enable comparison across talks, the variations represented by individual discourses still deserve due attention.From the social level, since conventionality in metaphor remains an unresolved issue, Chapter 5 proposes methodologies (dictionary and list of
conceptual metaphors) to discriminate how conventionality is realized among different types of metaphor and their correlations. It reveals a pattern that conventionalized metaphors are less productive or dynamic, as compared to systematic and novel ones. In both chapters, the pragmatic functions and social-cultural motivations for the use of metaphor are proposed and discussed to further explain the occurrences or absence of metaphorical expressions.
In conclusion, this study implies a dynamic perspective to metaphor that emphasizes its systematicity, interaction, and socio-cognitive functions by investigating metaphorical use in interactive discourse. Not only that, speaker interaction and discourse genre are proposed to be effective to occurrences of metaphor. In other words, textual analyses on metaphor are not enough to represent various levels of linguistic, conceptual, and social-cultural systems that bring about metaphor from continuous cycles of processing and production. Last but not least, this is a first attempt to search for any systematic patterns of metaphor in use among limitless variations in interactive and semi-naturalistic discourse.
Subjects
metaphor
interactive discourse
dynamic systems
social-cognitive
discourse genre
systematic metaphor
conventionality
Type
thesis
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