| Traditionally metaphor is often treated as a figure of speech and viewed as a mere matter of language. However, since the publication of Metaphors We Live By by Lakoff and Johnson in 1980, more and more linguists come to agree that metaphor is a cognitive phenomenon. Lakoff's conceptual metaphor theory argues that the conceptual system of human being is largely metaphorical. This metaphorical conceptual system is reflected in language, human behaviour, sign languages and so on.The philosophical basis of conceptual metaphor theory is experientialism, which is a third choice as opposed to objectivism and subjectivism. Experientialism emphasizes human being's understanding of the external world based on their interaction with the outside world.When it comes to the experiential basis of conceptual metaphor, image schemas and experiential gestalts are two very important concepts. They are dimensions of human experience that are directly meaningful to us which are crucial to the understanding of the experiential basis of conventional metaphors such as orientational metaphors and container metaphors. The other case is the coactivation of experiences. For example, the metaphor AFFECTION IS WARMTH is based on the coexistence of affection and love of a baby's part when he or she is in their mother's arms. Novel metaphorical expressions are usually based on existing structural metaphors and are indirectly and coherently based on human experience.The study is carried out in the framework of cognitive linguistics. Examples are analyzed to further prove the experiential basis of conceptual metaphor. The cognitive role metaphor plays is self-evident in such an effort. It is further proved that metaphor is an inherent part of language. |
