The role of metaphor in natural languages: A theoretical inquiry

In this paper I argue that natural languages are less limited in their application and expressiveness than are formal languages because of metaphorical processes. Certain characteristics of formal versus natural languages are analyzed in order to establish why and how metaphorical processes are necessary in natural languages. It is argued that metaphorical processes restructure and extend the scope of natural languages and other symbolic systems through contextual change, and that these processes enable a variety of symbolic systems to interact with each other in ways that purely formal languages cannot in theory emulate.