metametaphorsmetaphors

Metametaphorsmetaphors is a term used in literary theory and cognitive linguistics to describe layered figurative language in which a metaphor is treated as the subject of another metaphor. The construction combines meta- (self-referential or about itself) with metaphor, signaling a recursive or self-analytic use of figurative speech. In practice, metametaphorsmetaphors occur when a discourse describes how metaphors operate, or when a metaphor about metaphor is itself described through another metaphor.

Use and interpretation

The concept functions as an analytical device rather than a fixed genre. It helps critics and scholars examine how language constructs meaning, frames perception, and reveals underlying assumptions about knowledge, culture, or power. By foregrounding the metaphorical nature of discourse, metametaphorsmetaphors can expose ambiguities, tensions, or ideological commitments embedded in statements that claim to be neutral or objective.

Examples

A metaphoric claim such as “ideas are engines” might be followed by a metametaphor about that claim, such as describing the evaluation of that metaphor as “tuning an engine to reflect social values.” More directly, a critic may say that the entire discussion of metaphor operates as a metametaphor, illustrating how analytical language itself acts like a metaphor for understanding cognition.

Relation to related concepts

Metametaphor and metametaphor theory influence studies of figurative language, including cognitive metaphor theory and rhetorical criticism. Metametaphorsmetaphors embodies the idea of figurative discourse about figurative discourse, highlighting recursive layers in language rather than presenting a single, straightforward metaphor.

See also: metaphor, metametaphor, cognitive metaphor theory, figurative language.