Metaforien

Metaforien are figurative expressions that describe one concept in terms of another. In many languages metaforie form a core part of poetry, rhetoric, and everyday speech, helping speakers convey complex or abstract ideas through familiar imagery. A metaforie typically involves a source domain (the image used for comparison) and a target domain (the concept being described), with properties mapped from the former to the latter.

They can be categorized as conventional, widely used and often unconscious metaphors, or novel, providing new imagery. An extended metaphor develops a single metaphor across multiple sentences or lines, creating a cohesive image rather than a single, isolated comparison.

The study of metaforien spans classical rhetoric and modern cognitive linguistics. In cognitive linguistics, conceptual metaphor theory describes systematic mappings between source and target domains, such as time being treated as money or ideas as flowing substances. In traditional terms, scholars refer to the vehicle (the image) and the tenor (the concept described), while contemporary work emphasizes the cognitive mappings that shape understanding.

Metaforien appear in literature, political discourse, media, and everyday speech, influencing interpretation and persuasion. They are culturally shaped and can pose translation challenges when idioms do not transfer directly between languages. Recognizing metaforien supports interpretation, critique, and cross-cultural communication, illustrating how language constructs meaning by borrowing structure from familiar domains.