metaforad

Metaforad is a theoretical construct used in linguistics and cognitive rhetoric to describe a higher-order organization of metaphor. It denotes a meta-framework that governs recurring metaphorical patterns across a discourse, providing a structure within which individual metaphors are generated and interpreted.

Definition and structure: a metaforad consists of a core domain pair (source and target) and a mapping pattern that specifies how attributes and relations are transferred between domains. It also includes a network of subordinate metaforads that recursively constrain new metaphors, creating a hierarchical metaphor architecture.

Detection and analysis: researchers use corpus-based methods and graph representations to identify chains of metaphor usage that share a common metaforad. They look for consistent mapping patterns, domain alignment, and temporal or genre-based stability.

Applications: in literary analysis, metaforads help explain how authors maintain thematic coherence across scenes. In political rhetoric and media discourse, they illuminate how a single campaign frame can generate multiple related metaphors, reinforcing the intended meaning.

Reception and critique: the concept has been influential in some strands of cognitive linguistics but remains debated. Critics argue that operationalizing metaforads is challenging and risks over-generalization. Proponents emphasize its utility for cross-text analysis and for mapping metaphorical ecosystems.

See also: metaphor, conceptual metaphor theory, framing, discourse analysis.