Metaforilisel

Metaforilisel is a term used in linguistic and literary analysis to describe a focus on metaphorical meaning across discourse. It denotes a methodological stance rather than a single rhetorical figure, emphasizing how metaphor shapes interpretation, emotion, and social meaning in text. The word is formed from Estonian metaforiline (metaphorical) with the instrumental/locative suffix -sel in phrases such as metaforilisel tasandil, meaning “on a metaphorical level.”

In the Estonian scholarly context, metaforilisel analysis treats metaphor as a central mechanism for framing concepts, rather than as a decorative device. It draws on theories of conceptual metaphor and cognitive linguistics to examine how source domains (such as journey, construction, or battle) map onto target domains like knowledge, selfhood, or politics. This approach looks at how metaphorical patterns recur within a text, across genres, and within discourse communities, shaping readers’ or listeners’ interpretation.

The analytical method generally includes metaphor identification, mapping of source-to-target domains, and an examination of coherence and rhetorical effect. Researchers study how metaphor influences tone, stance, and persuasion, as well as how it carries cultural assumptions and social ideologies. Metaforilisel analysis often overlaps with frame analysis and discourse studies, focusing on how metaphor contributes to meaning construction in media, literature, and public rhetoric.

Applications of metaforilisel inquiry occur in literary criticism, journalism, political speech, and educational texts, where recognizing metaphoric framing can illuminate underlying messages and power dynamics. Critics may survey cross-textual patterns or longitudinal shifts to assess how metaphorical language evolves with cultures and contexts. See also: metaphor, conceptual metaphor, framing, cognitive linguistics.