metaphorá

Metaphorá is the Greek term for metaphor, a figure of speech in which attributes of one thing are transferred to another to illuminate, describe, or refract a concept. In practice, a metaphor states or implies a comparison between two unlike things, suggesting similarity through figurative meaning rather than literal equivalence.

Etymology and usage: metaphorá derives from the Greek μεταφορά (metaforá), literally meaning transfer or carrying across. In modern Greek the word remains the standard term for metaphor, while in English and other languages the concept is referred to as metaphor. The Greek origin highlights metaphor as a crossing or transference of meaning from a source domain to a target domain.

Functions and types: metaphors can be explicit, presenting the comparison directly (for example, “time is a thief”), or implicit, where the metaphorical framing is embedded in language without a direct statement. Extended metaphors develop the comparison over multiple lines or passages. Dead metaphors are so common they have lost their metaphorical force (for example, “leg of a chair”), while mixed metaphors combine incompatible images and may produce a humorous or jarring effect.

Theoretical and cultural significance: metaphorá and metaphor occupy central roles in rhetoric, poetry, and everyday language. Cognitive linguistics view metaphor as a fundamental mechanism by which people understand abstract concepts through concrete experience, a notion central to conceptual metaphor theory. Metaphors shape thought, influence perception, and aid in communication across cultures and disciplines.

Related concepts include simile, metonymy, synecdoche, and personification. In literary and scientific writing, metaphorá remains a key tool for explanation, persuasion, and aesthetic effect.