Vlado Sušac

University of Zadar

COMMUTATION OF COGNITIVE
SOURCE DOMAINS AS A SEMIOTIC
TOOL FOR PARADIGMATIC ANALYSIS
 PARADIGMATIC RELATIONS
relations ‘in absentia’: contrasting present with absent
signifiers within a text

structuralism: selection vs combination (paradigmatic

vs syntagmatic).
Paradigmatic analysis:
- How possible alternatives of signifiers determine or
affect the value or the meaning of the text / signified?

binary oppositions (old-young; male-female...)

commutation test (open set of signifiers ... metaphors
included)
 CONCEPTUAL METAPHORS AS OBJECTS OF COMMUTATION TESTS

Metaphor interactions:
multivalency (the scope of the source): the same
source domain is applied to various target domains

diversification (the range of the target): a number of

source domains lead to one target domain
Multivalency:
GOOD IS HIGH (Dubrovnik is a top destination)
MORE IS HIGH (The prices of property in Dubrovnik are sky high)

MORE = GOOD ?

CHANGE IS PATH (Attitudes to women shifted in the 19th

century)
SUCCESS IS PATH (She is intelligent and hardworking; I'm sure
she'll go a long way )

CHANGE = SUCCESS ?
Diversification
GOOD IS CLEAN GOOD IS FIRST
 He is one of the few clean I'm your number-one fan
politicians my family had to take second
 It was an immaculate place to my career
performance this is a third rate dictionary
 she had a spotless
reputation
The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis:
Linguistic Determinism:
people’s thoughts are determined by the categories
available to them in their language

Linguistic Relativity :
people who speak different languages will think about
the world in different ways
Conceptual prescriptivism?
“We need to uncover these
ideologically-loaded metaphors and
look for alternative ones”

(Kövecses , Z. – afterword to “Washing the Brain – Metaphor and Hidden

Ideology’’; Goatly: 2007)
 ?

reaching the target shooting the target

 Corpus:
ROOT Literal Metaphorical
Trans-literal ANALOGY LEXICAL ITEM Meaning PS meaning COLLOCATE

燃烧的 , 烧得 ANGER IS flaming burning adj angry we had a

旺的 HEAT strongly flaming
argument
about religion

Source: Metalude: Metaphor at Lingnan University, Department of English

 ACTIVITY IS AGRICULTURE
 ACTIVITY IS GAME DIFFICULTY IS HARDNESS
 INFORMATION IS COMMODITY
 ACTIVITY IS BUILDING  DIFFICULTY IS MUDDY
GROUND DIFFICULTY IS  INFORMATION IS MINERAL
 ACTIVITY IS FIGHTING
OBSTACLE  INFORMATION IS PREY
 ACTIVITY IS FISHING/HUNTING
 ACTIVITY IS MUSIC  
 EMOTION IS ELECTRICITY  KNOWLEDGE IS VIEW
 ACTIVITY IS SAILING  KNOWLEDGE IS FLUID
 EMOTION IS EXPLOSION
 ACTIVITY IS THEATRE  KNOWLEDGE IS FOOD
 EMOTION IS FOOD/EATING
 ACTIVITY IS PATH   
 EMOTION IS HEAT
 ACTIVITY IS WRITING  MACHINE IS ANIMAL
 EMOTION IS LIGHT/COLOUR
    MACHINE IS HUMAN
 EMOTION IS LIQUID   
 AFFECTION IS WARMTH
 EMOTION IS MOVEMENT  MONEY IS FOOD
 AFFECTION IS MONEY
  EMOTION IS WEATHER  MONEY IS LIQUID/BLOOD
 EMOTION IS DISEASE   
 ARGUING IS FIGHTING
 EMOTION IS SMELL  ORGANISATION IS BODY
 ARGUMENT IS BUILDING
 EMOTION IS SOUND  ORGANISATION IS MACHINE
    ORGANISATION IS PLANT
  
 COMMUNICATING IS COOKING   
 EXPERIENCE IS FOOD
 COMMUNICATION IS CONTACT  QUALITY IS MONEY/WEALTH
 EXPERIENCE IS LIQUID
 COMMUNICATION IS FLOW  QUALITY IS SHAPE/SIZE
 EXPERIENCE IS WEATHER
 COMMUNICATION IS  QUALITY IS TASTE/TEXTURE
MOVEMENT      
    FAILURE IS DIVISION  RELATIONSHIP IS MUSIC
 CONSIDER IS LOOK  FAILURE IS FALLING  RELATIONSHIP IS PROXIMITY
 CONSIDER IS TRAVEL  FAILURE IS SHIPWRECK   
       THINKING IS TRAVELLING
 DESIRE IS APPETITE  HUMAN IS ANIMAL  THINKING IS CALCULATING
 HUMAN IS BUILDING  THINKING IS CONTROLLING
 DESIRE IS ATTRACTION
    HUMAN IS CLOTH
 DEVELOP IS GROW  HUMAN IS FOOD
 DEVELOP IS MOVING  HUMAN IS MACHINE
FORWARD  HUMAN IS PLANT
The most dominant source domains in
political election campaigns in Croatia:
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

ING ATH M
E NT
ESS LS E SS M
Y
I O N RE SE O
W
IO
N
IN
K
E A U
HT P / GA EM LN IM I N N
O
A T
L TU HO / SH CT
DR
L L T /
FI
G
R T
O
V I A N
A N
E CO EN ICU
RE
TRU OD
O E / I T
SP Y
/M CL E Y
OR G R
EA NS FO
OD ON CE/ S /A TH CO
B M P A NT
S A
PL
 THE RATIO OF OVERALL USAGE OF METAPHORS BETWEEN
LEADING LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE PARTIES IN CROATIA

180

160

140

120

100

Series 1
80

60

40

20

0
SDP HDZ
Distribution of source domains FIGHTING and PATH
between liberal (SDP) and conservative (HDZ) parties in
Croatia

FIGHTING PATH
18
16 20
14 18
16
12 14
10 12
8 10
6 8
6
4
4
2 2
0 0
SDP HDZ SDP HDZ
METALUDE
Number of lexical items deriving from source domains
FIGHTING and PATH:

ACTIVITY IS FIGHTING: 85
ACTIVITY IS PATH: 44

Are they all interchangable?

 Formal diversification (mismatch in
metaphorical meaning):
LEXICAL Metaphorical
ROOT ANALOGY Literal Meaning PS COLLOCATE
ITEM meaning
ACTIVITY IS backlash strike witha a n strong reaction there's been a right-
FIGHTING whip on the to events in wing backlash
back society and against the welfare
politics state in the last 20
years
ACTIVITY IS milestone roadside stone or n important stage 911 seemed like a
PATH post that in something's milestone on the
indicates development road to war
distance

Source: Metalude: Metaphor at Lingnan University, Department of English

 Real diversification (overlapping in
metaphorical meaning):
Literal Metaphorical
ROOT ANALOGY LEXICAL ITEM Meaning PS meaning COLLOCATE
ACTIVITY IS bash on hit hard vi+adv continue doing I bashed on
FIGHTING something difficult with my
or boring marking past
midnight
ACTIVITY IS keep on transporting idi(cl) continue with if you can't get
PATH trucking goods by lorry what you are a job don't give
  already doing up applying,
just keep on
trucking

Source: Metalude: Metaphor at Lingnan University, Department of English

 S S
G

Unlike formal diversification, in real diversification the source

domains share common ground transferred to the target domain.
(POLITICAL) ACTIVITY
IS FIGHTING (POLITICAL) ACTIVITY
We have won the most IS PATH
difficult battles in the We have overcome the most
development of our country difficult obstacles on our
way to the EU

Common ground revealed in another conceptual pair:

DEVELOPING/SUCCEEDING IS MOVING FORWARD

 ACTIVITY IS FIGHTING ACTIVITY IS PATH

Metaphorical COLLOCATE Metaphorical COLLOCATE

meaning meaning
Ground
DIFFICULTY
work hard to achieve he fought hard to get finish something you the oldest president in
his proposals accepted have started despite US history stayed the
by the council difficulties course for two terms

try hard to be doctors battled for

successful in a difficult years to find a cure for
position malaria

try hard to do I've been wrestling

something difficult with this maths
problem for hours

try hard to solve a environmental

problem degradation is just one
of several critical
problems the country is
grappling with
 ACTIVITY IS FIGHTING ACTIVITY IS PATH

Metaphorical COLLOCATE Metaphorical COLLOCATE

meaning meaning
Ground
GIVE UP / END / FINISH
give up something After several attempts finish the party came to an
before you have to push sales, we end at 2 a.m.
successfully completed admitted defeat and
it folded up the business

attempt to stop the government needs position where nothing at age 55, after years
something to take stronger further can be of hard work I've
measures to combat achieved reached the end of the
crime road

give up because of lack after five years no longer able to do he wants to go in for
of success teaching I threw in the physical activity the marathon but I
sponge think he's past it

give up because of lack after five years finished I'm through with
of success teaching I threw in the marking
towel
 ACTIVITY IS FIGHTING ACTIVITY IS PATH
Metaphorical COLLOCATE Metaphorical COLLOCATE
meaning meaning
Ground
START / BEGIN
time at which an three days left to zero- start doing these communities are
activity is timed to hour and my first exam now turning to
begin paper recycling
CHANGE
take advantage of a seeing his chance of a stage at which I was at a crossroads--
changed situation to profit John moved in important decisions should I continue with
achieve your aims for the kill have to be made about journalism or put all
what to do next my energy into novel
writing?
people who are Major sees himself in adapt to a new activity It took Jean a while to
making changes or the vanguard of or situation get/find her bearings
developments economic restructuring at University
experience of change my movies are a
or development of journey of discovery,
mind both for myself and the
viewer
act or behave the actor was drunk
differently from what and in several places
is usual or expected departed from the
script
 ACTIVITY IS FIGHTING ACTIVITY IS PATH
Metaphorical COLLOCATE Metaphorical COLLOCATE
meaning meaning
Ground
ACHIEVE
long, determined they are involved in a attain a stage in a political change in
attempt to achieve crusade for racial process South Africa has
what one believes in equality reached the stage
where it is irreversible

work hard to achieve he fought hard to get process of achieving we are bound to see
his proposals accepted setbacks along the
by the council road to recovery
means of achieving a sense of humour is a action or achievement transparency in
something or opposing weapon to be used that helps you reach a government was a
someone against those in particular goal necessary staging post
authority to full press freedom

achieve, succeed in he won the approval of action taken to achieve the cut in interest rates
getting the judges something was a wise move
attempt to achieve she has fought a
something in a difficult constant battle with
situation her weight
 ACTIVITY IS FIGHTING ACTIVITY IS PATH
Metaphorical COLLOCATE Metaphorical COLLOCATE
meaning meaning
Ground
CONTINUE
continue doing I bashed on with my continue with what if you can't get a job
something difficult marking past you are already don't give up
or boring midnight doing applying, just keep
on trucking

continue with a task they soldiered on continuously he also began a

in spite of building the dam happening over a running feud with
difficulties despite the period of time Saddam Hussein
rainstorm

DOUBT / CONFUSION
not be prepared for the sudden be confused so as the BSE crisis proved
something appearance of his not to know what to how badly the
unexpected that mother caught him do next government had lost
happens off guard its bearings
“The choice of metaphors in cases of Diversification has
consequences for cognitive structuring and ideology, and
also for syntactic relations. Given space one could provide
a system diagram of the choices of Vehicle available for
conceptualizing any particular entity, and try to explore
the cognitive and grammatical consequences of the
choice.”

(Goatly: The Language of Metaphors, 1997 :66)

CONCLUSION:
Commutation of two or source domains is possible when
they share common ground with the target and when they
fit into the syntagmatic order of the context.
As there is no absolute synonymy in language, so there is
no absolute ‘conceptual synonymy’ of metaphorical
source domains.
Even when grounds are shared, every source domain
highlights different aspects of the target domain.
The choice may be ideological or merely a matter of style.
Thank you!