Conceptualization And Language Understanding

Grammatical Metaphor is an important component of Systemic Functional Linguistics.It describes deviations of language use at the lexicogrammar level.It is composed of ideational metaphors and interpersonal metaphors.From the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistics,studies on Grammatical Metaphor are composed of two stages: the classical stage and the neo stage.In the classical stage,research is mainly on notion,nature,classification,forms and working mechanism of Grammatical Metaphor.The neo stage emphasizes syndrome,transcategorization and rankshift of Grammatical Metaphor.In accordance with Cognitive Linguistics,studies are mainly on the relationship between transitivity metaphors and Conceptual Metaphor Theory,between transitivity metaphors and linguistic construal.Previous studies made great contribution to development of Grammatical Metaphor,but more effort can be made.In the realm of Cognitive Linguistics,two aspects can be improved: studies on conceptual basis and linguistic construal of Grammatical Metaphor are dispersed;almost all the research is about ideational metaphors(transitivity metaphors in particular),however,cognitive mechanism and linguistics construal of logical metaphors and interpersonal metaphors are hardly given enough attention.Based on Lakoff & Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory,Langacker’s Cognitive Grammar and Fauconnier & Turner’s Conceptual Blending Theory,this thesis studies the conceptualization and linguistic construal of Grammatical Metaphor in English.It intends to construct a more cognitively plausible instrument for Grammatical Metaphor studies.The data displayed in the thesis are extracted from books and journals in Cognitive and Functional linguistic field.This thesis has mainly achieved three points.First,this research has proved that Grammatical Metaphor is a result of cognitive construct and a method of acknowledging the world.On one hand,conceptual basis of Grammatical Metaphor is conceptual metaphor;on the other hand,distinct construal modes create congruent and metaphorical expressions on the level of lexicogrammar.Second,from the perspective of generative mechanism,Grammatical Metaphor is caused by cross-domain mapping.To reiterate,one semantic domain maps onto the other domain.Transitivity metaphors are products of mappings from ENTITIES onto EVENTS or from ENTITIES onto ATTRIBUTES.More specifically,the nine types of mappings are mappings from ENTITIES onto EVENTS,ATTRIBUTES,MENTAL ACTIVITIES and CIRCUMSTANCES,mappings from AN EVENT onto SAYING and CIRCUMSTANCES,mappings from MENTAL ACTIVITIES onto EVENTS,mappings from ATTRIBUTES onto EVENTS and CIRCUMSTANCES.Logical metaphors are root in mappings from ENTITIES,EVENTS,ATTRIBUTES and CIRCUMSTANCES onto RELATIONS,etc.Metaphors of mood are caused by mappings from one mood domain onto the other mood domain.More specifically,they are mappings from DECLARATIVES onto INTERROGATIVES and IMPERATIVES,mappings from INTERROGATIVES onto DECLARATIVES and IMPERATIVES and mappings from IMPERATIVES onto DECLARATIVES and INTERROGATIVES.Metaphors of modality are caused by mappings from ENTITIES onto PROBABILITY,OBLIGATION and INCLINATION,mappings from MENTAL ACTIVITY onto PROBABILITY,USUALITY and OBLIGATION,mappings from RELATION to PROBABILITY,USUALITY and OBLIGATION.This finding corresponds to illustrations of Grammatical Metaphor from the perspective of Functional Linguistics.That is,the dominant trend of Grammatical Metaphor is drifting towards thingness or quality.Third,from the angle of Linguistic Construal,Grammatical Metaphor is specific choices in Specificity,Perspective(including Figure-ground,Viewpoint,and Subjectivity-objectivity),Profile and Mental Scanning.In transference from process to thing,the congruent form is higher in specificity,whereas,in shifting from attribute to thing or shifting from relator to thing,the congruent form is lower.Metaphors of mood have higher specificity than typical realizations.In metaphors of modality,some are higher,and the rest are on the contrary.Ideational metaphors and their congruent expressions are different in figure-ground arrangement.In metaphors of mood,expressions of statements share the same figure,while those of questions and commands have distinct choices.In shifting from figures to elements and shifting between elements,figure-ground alignments are the same.In shifting from elements to figures,congruent and incongruent realizations of subjective modality have different figure,where objective expressions of modality share the same figure.Expressions of mood have the same viewpoint.As for metaphors of modality,in shifting from figures to elements and shifting between elements,the viewpoints of various expressions are the same.In transference from elements to figures,subjective and objective variants of usuality,obligation and inclination share the same viewpoint.And objective variants of probability share the same viewpoint.However,in subjective expressions of probability,expressions show different viewpoints.Subjectivity and objectivity expressions mood do not have obvious distinction.In shifting from figures to elements and shifting between elements,subjectivity or objectivity realizations are the same in subjectivity-objectivity.In transference from elements to figures,subjective and congruent expressions of probability and obligation present subjectivity,while incongruent expressions present objectivity.Other types of metaphors of modality and their congruences are the same.The third aspect of linguistic construal is profile.Transference from circumstances to processes and logical metaphors are caused by atypical profile.The last aspect is scanning.Nominalization and adjectivization are products of summary scanning.Besides,it is verified that each type of Grammatical Metaphor is the product of conceptual blending of a congruent expression and a particular clause structure.