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1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Conceptual Metaphor -- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | In cognitive linguistics, conceptual metaphor, or cognitive metaphor, refers to | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | the understanding of one idea, or conceptual domain, in terms of another. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | An example of this is the understanding of quantity in terms of directionality ("The price of peace is rising.") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | or the understanding of time in terms of money ("I spent time at work today"). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | NOTE: There are many ways to organize conceptual metaphors into groups. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Below are groupings which I feel are exceptionally useful for understanding phrasal verbs. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | These groups are, at present, found in the Macmillan Dictionary. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | They were originally created and used in an article by Dr. Rosamund Moon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | I have also exceprted some paragraphs from that article. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | "The meanings of phrasal verbs are often difficult to remember, because they seem to have no connection | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | with the words that they consist of (the verb and the particle). In fact many phrasal verbs are metaphorical, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | and if you understand the metaphors they use, it will be easier to understand and remember their meanings. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | This article looks at ways in which different phrasal verbs share similar metaphors." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | Sets of Metaphors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | 1 | Increasing and decreasing: down, out, up | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | 2 | Excitement, interest, and happiness: down, up | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | 3 | Completeness: up | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | 4 | Ending: away, down, off, out | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
24 | 5 | Time – past and future: ahead, back, behind, forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
25 | 6 | Progress: ahead, along, behind, on, through | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
26 | 7 | Getting involved in an activity: away, in, into, out | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
27 | 8 | Problems: around, aside, off, over, round | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
28 | 9 | Power and weakness: down, over, under, up | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
29 | 10 | Relationships: apart, off, together, up | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
30 | 11 | Communication: across, between, forth, in, into, out, over, through | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
31 | 12 | Information and knowledge: into, out, up | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
33 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
34 | Examples | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
35 | 1 Increasing and decreasing: down, out, up | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
36 | Up expresses ideas of increases in size, strength, or importance, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
37 | while down expresses ideas of something becoming smaller, weaker, or less important: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
38 | Fees have gone up again. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
39 | She's doing some teaching in the evenings to bump up her income. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
40 | The search operation has been scaled down. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
41 | The government played down the threat to public health. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
42 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
43 | Out expresses ideas of something becoming wider or fuller, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
44 | covering a greater extent, or lasting for a longer time: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
45 | Officers fanned out across the field. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
46 | Her stories flesh out the world in which these historical characters lived. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
47 | They had to string things out until the Duke arrived. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
48 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
49 | 2 Excitement, interest, and happiness: down, up | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
50 | Some phrasal verbs with up refer to things becoming more exciting, lively, or interesting, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
51 | or to people becoming happier. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
52 | Phrasal verbs with down refer to things becoming quieter or calmer, or to people becoming more unhappy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
53 | Things are looking up. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
54 | Cheer up! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
55 | Their opponents said that they sexed up the report. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
56 | This place needs livening up. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
57 | Calm down! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
58 | You need to tone down your argument. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
59 | The endless wet weather was getting me down. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
61 | 3 Completeness: up | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
62 | Up expresses an idea of completeness. For example, to burn up means to burn completely, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
63 | and to wind something up means to bring it to a complete end. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
64 | They gobbled up their dinner. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
65 | Don't use up all the paper. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
66 | The speaker had begun to sum up. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
67 | All the shops had closed up for the night. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
68 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
69 | 4 Ending: away, down, off, out | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
70 | When something ends, we can think of it as gradually going farther away until it completely disappears. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
71 | In phrasal verbs, away, down, off, and out all express ideas of something gradually ending: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
72 | Her voice faded away. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
73 | I suddenly felt sorry for him and my anger melted away. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
74 | The wind died down during the night. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
75 | The meeting wound down. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
76 | The rain eased off. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
77 | The effects of the drug wore off. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
78 | The conversation soon petered out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
79 | The custom has almost died out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
80 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
81 | 5 Time – past and future: ahead, back, behind, forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
82 | Metaphors relating to time are often based on the idea that time is like a line that goes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
83 | from the past to the future, with the past behind us and the future in front of us. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
84 | Phrasal verbs with ahead and forward express ideas of the future, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
85 | while phrasal verbs with back and behind express ideas of the past. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
86 | What lies ahead? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
87 | Let's think ahead to next season. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
88 | I'm looking forward to seeing them again. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
89 | I've put my watch forward one hour. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
90 | The house dates back to the 16th century. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
91 | Never look back, never have regrets. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
92 | She was trying to leave behind a difficult adolescence. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
93 | Put the whole episode behind you. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
94 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
95 | 6 Progress: ahead, along, behind, on, through | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
96 | Making progress and achieving things is like being on a journey and moving towards your destination. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
97 | Phrasal verbs with along describe the kind of progress that is being made, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
98 | while phrasal verbs with ahead and behind express ideas of making good progress or poor progress. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
99 | The building work was coming along nicely. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
100 | They're content to just muddle along. |