An Adaptation Perspective On A Metaphorical Utterance And Its Social Functions

Recent developments in the study of metaphor have highlighted the importance and the ubiquity of metaphor in language. Cross-domain mapping as well as correlations, advanced by Lakoff and Johnson in 1980, seems to account for the nature of metaphor. However, a language theory can not divorce itself from its primary function as communication for no language exists in a vacuum. In this sense, cross-domain mapping can not satisfactorily explain the working mechanism of metaphor in a real-life communication.For that reason, my thesis presents a study of metaphorical utterances carried out within the framework of cognitive linguistics and of pragmatics. It is assumed that, on the basis of Lakoff's conceptual metaphor theory, Verschueren's adaptation theory can satisfactorily account for the working mechanism of a metaphorical utterance, which is a form or variation of metaphor in communication. This study has the following two objectives: (1) to explore the working mechanism of a metaphorical utterance by means of Verschueren's adaptation theory on the basis of conceptual metaphor theory; and (2) to probe into the social functions of metaphorical utterances in communication.As for research methodology, the study utilizes the natural and authentic metaphorical utterances in daily conversations, which were gathered from different sources.The findings of the research are as follows: (1) Based on conceptual metaphor, Verschueren's adaptation theory can fully explain the working mechanism of a metaphorical utterance. The adaptation exists not only between the speaker and the hearer in their respective choices of their composition and interpretation of a metaphorical utterance to fulfill their communicative purposes, but also in their mutual adaptive understanding of their common context on the ground of their specific culture. Cautiously speaking, the main elements in communication related to a metaphorical utterance could be elaborated from the perspective of Verschueren's adaptation theory. (2) Five social functions of metaphorical utterances are drawn from the explanation of extensive examples. They are polite, humorous, manipulative, heuristic, imaginative functions.