1. Some recent issues in conceptual metaphor theory
Zoltán Kövecses
Eötvös Loránd University
Budapest, Hungary

2. Five issues
(1) The abstract understood figuratively, the concrete understood literally, but the concrete understood figuratively?
(2) Do metaphors emerge directly or indirectly?
(3) Do conceptual metaphors consist of domains, schemas, frames or spaces?
(4) Are metaphors conceptual or contextual in nature?
(5) Are metaphors offline or online phenomena?

3. (1) The concrete understood figuratively?
The case of SMELL:
Ideal source domain.
But: it has aspects, such as EXISTENCE, INTENSITY, LACK OF CONTROL

4. INTENTSITY:
overpowering, strong, faint: intensity of smell is strength of effect
sharp, pungent: intensity of smell is sharpness of an object
vaguely: intensity of smell is degree of brightness of light
pervasive, fill: intensity of smell is quantity of a substance
overpowering, strong, faint: intensity is strength
sharp, pungent: intensity is sharpness
vaguely: intensity is brightness
pervasive, fill: intensity is quantity

5. (2) Do metaphors emerge directly or indirectly?
ANGER IS HEAT
Primary metaphor.
Elementary scene with a subjective and sensorimotor element.
ANGER and BODY HEAT.

6. In an initial “frame-like” structure with element 1 (E1) and element 2 (E2), E1 and E2 are correlated in experience, and thus E2 can stand metonymically for E1. For instance, body heat stands metonymically for anger.
Then, element 2 is generalized (or schematized) and becomes the source concept for the initial concept, which becomes the target concept. BODY HEAT > HEAT
Body heat is generalized to heat outside the emotion domain, thus allowing the primary metaphor ANGER IS HEAT to emerge.
This is followed by elaboration: HOT FLUID, LAVA, even ACETYLENE.

7. (3) Do conceptual metaphors consist of domains, schemas, frames or spaces?
A variety of different terms for conceptual metaphors.
Observation: the terms describe different levels of schematicity.
IMAGE SCHEMA
DOMAIN
FRAME
Schematicity hierarchy.

8. E.g., Lakoff (1993):
The Event Structure metaphor
LIFE IS A JOURNEY
LOVE IS A JOURNEY

9. “Everything that I wanted to say I couldn’t think how to say in French
“Everything that I wanted to say I couldn’t think how to say in French. I was bursting with anger, mostly at myself for my lack of French vocabulary.” (my bolding, ZK)
of-paris-why-is-it-worse-than-in-the-uk/

10. Image schema level:
intensity is strength (of effect)
Domain level:
emotions are forceful interactions: intensity of emotion is degree of pressure
Frame level:
the angry person is a hot fluid in a container: the intensity of a person’s anger is the degree of physical pressure inside a person-container
Mental spaces level:
the high intensity of the speaker’s anger is the high degree of physical pressure inside the speaker-container

11. (4) Are metaphors conceptual or contextual in nature?
Schematicity hierarchies are conceptual patterns.
But they function in context.
What is context?
The totality of our experiences – both locally and globally.

12. Image schema metaphors
Domain metaphors
Frame metaphors
Mental spaces metaphors
function in CONTEXT
Each schematicity hierarchy emerges in CONTEXT.
Conceptual metaphors are BOTH conceptual and contextual.

13. (5) Are metaphors offline or online phenomena?
CMT started out as an offline theory.
Image schema, domain, and frame level metaphors are offline conceptual patterns.
They lack dynamism, malleability, and creativity.
Criticism was bound to happen.

14. Conceptual integration (blending) theory.
Dynamic, malleable, and creative.
How can we maintain all the achievements of CMT and at the same time accommodate these criticisms?

15. Add the mental space level to the schematicity hierarchy.
Conceptual integration occurs at the mental spaces level.
But it assumes the frame, domain, and image schema levels.

16. IMAGE SCHEMA
DOMAIN offline
FRAME
MENTAL SPACE online
This way, we can turn CMT into a theory that can combine the idea of an offline schematicity hierarchy and its online functioning in a unified view of metaphor as both a product and a process.

17. This is all in preparation to be published as a new book:
EXTENDED CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR THEORY