The Roles Of Metaphor And Metonymy In Conceptual Integration

The important roles played by metaphor and metonymy in conceptual integration have been well discussed by Grady, Oakley & Coulson (1999) and Coulson & Oakley, 2003) respectively. As to the issue of metaphor in conceptual integration, Grady, Oakley & Coulson (1999) argue that conceptual metaphor theory and blending theory are complementary theories. According to Grady, Oakley & Coulson (1999), conceptual metaphors are among the stable structures available for exploitation by the blending process, and thus conceptual metaphors can serve as important inputs to conceptual integration. As to the issue of metonymy in conceptual integration, Coulson & Oakley (2003) argue that cross-space mappings based on metonymy can allow speakers to access and refer to one element by naming or describing its counterpart in a completely different space, which means that metonymy plays a very important role in conceptual integration networks.However, through the review of relevant literature, we find that there are still many aspects left uncovered. These aspects are as follows.(1) For the issue of the role of metaphor in conceptual integration: the aspects of metaphorical mappings based on correlations, primary metaphors as templates, and the theory of correlations in accounting for primary metaphors that serve as generic patterns.(2) For the issue of the role of metonymy in conceptual integration: the aspects of the role of metonymy in satisfying optimality principles, and the metonymic functions of ad hoc conceptual structures.In the present thesis, we will explore these uncovered aspects, and in order to give the reader a better picture of the issues of metaphor and metonymy in conceptual integration, we will also add some other examples to the aspects addressed by previous scholars. Moreover, the present project is by no means an exhaustive one. Hopefully, this thesis would throw some insights into the further study of these issues.