What is an activity-as-substance metaphor?

What is an activity-as-substance metaphor?

Definition
	A conventional metaphor in which an activity is represented as a material substance that can be quantified and can serve as a container.

Examples (English)
	Here are some examples:
	How much window-washing did you do? How did you get into window-washing as a profession? He's immersed in washing the windows right now.

Generic
	An activity-as-substance metaphor is a kind of
	What is a metaphor for activities and events?

Source
	Lakoff, G. and Johnson 1980

Context for this page:

Concept module: activity-as-substance metaphor
In modular book: Metaphors in English, 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: Lexicon

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 18 September 1998