Metaphor Of The Cognitive Context

The phenomenon of metaphor has been the topic of haunting interest among scholars. In the traditional rhetoric, metaphor is only a figure of speech; while in the newly rising cognitive linguistics, metaphor occupies a central position, and it is regarded as an important cognitive tool to help us understand this world. Metaphor is pervasive and essential in language and thought, and is a matter of thought. The expression and understanding of metaphor is impossible without the cognitive context. Based on the contemprary research results of cognitive context both in china and abroad, the thesis attempts to make an analysis on the cognitive context of metaphor and its theories and methods applied.This thesis began with a systemtic review over the contemprary researches on both metophor and cognitive context in China and abroad, and then examines six basic characteristics of metaphor's cognitive context. Besides Gestalt, humanity, and dynamic, which are the common characteristics of cognitive context, this thesis puts forward four new characteristics according to the nature of metaphor, such as mapping, association, vague distinction of logic and gradation (Gradation concludes resemblance, culture salience and humanity), and elaborates on each characteristic with illustrations of ample data. The research on the cognitive context of metaphor is helpful not only to the metaphor study, but also to the explanation on how the metaphors are expressed and understood.