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Proper names and the theory of metaphor

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2006

LIONEL WEE
Affiliation:
National University of Singapore

Abstract

Metaphorical expressions involving proper names have been discussed only sporadically. This paper demonstrates that there are in fact interesting things to be said about such metaphors, and makes two key points, one general and one specific. The general point is that their behavior accords more with the class-inclusion model of metaphor than the correspondence model. Having established this, I make the more specific point that there are cultural dimensions to these metaphors that pose particular problems for the kind of correspondence model proposed by Lakoff and his associates.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2006 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

I thank Sunita Abraham, Robert D. Borsley, Benny Lee, Tan Yoo Guan, and two anonymous JL referees for their comments on earlier versions of this paper.