What is an emotional-effect-as-physical-contact metaphor?

A conventional metaphor in which the effect of something on the emotions is represented as physical contact, such that the intensity of the contact represents the intensity of the emotional effect.

Here are some examples in English:

• His mother's death hit him hard.
• That idea bowled me over.
• I was struck by his sincerity.
• That really made an impression on me.
• I was touched by his remark.
• That blew me away.

• What is a metaphor for emotion in general?

Lakoff, G. and Johnson 1980

• Concept module: emotional-effect-as-physical-contact 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

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