What is a structural metaphor?

A structural metaphor is a conventional metaphor in which one concept is understood and expressed in terms of another structured, sharply defined concept.

Here are some examples of the argument-as-war structural metaphor:

• Your claims are indefensible.
• He attacked every weak point in my argument.
• His criticisms were right on target.

• I demolished his argument.

• What is a conventional metaphor?

Lakoff, G. and Johnson 1980 4–5, 61

Context for this page:

• Concept module: structural metaphor
• In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): S
• In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
• In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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