Recently, I've been thinking about what underlying logic or pattern determines how we use prepositions in English. For people who are otherwise fluent, these pesky little words still give a lot of trouble.
I've just discovered an amazing book by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, called Metaphors we live By, (University of Chicago Press 1980).
Everyday language, the authors explain, is laden with metaphorical concepts. The built-in metaphors of our native tongue are systematic, coherent and unconscious. To a large degree, they determine how we view the world, and thus have important consequences for our actions. No doubt the same is true for other languages.
"Argument is war," these authors tell us, and demonstrate the truth of this idea by listing the expressions we use to talk about it. To cite some examples, we speak of attacking weak points in arguments, winning and losing arguments, and getting our arguments shot down.
The idea that "Time is money," is also amplified by the further related metaphors that "Time is a limited resource," and "Time is a valuable commodity." Thus we have or spend or lose time. We give it to other people and live on borrowed time. When others give us time, we say politely, "Thanks for your time." All of this talk, of course, is metaphor, so deeply ingrained in our linguistic patterns that we barely notice it.
Moving into metaphors of spatial orientation, the writers inform us that "Happy is up; sad is down," and speculate that this might have originally arisen through the posture we adopt when we feel "down" or when we are "in high spirits," or our spirits "rise."
There are many other examples, including: "Conscious is up; unconscious is down," "More is up; less is down," and "Rational is up; emotional is down."
We also see and quantify the world in terms of entities and substances, even when these are strictly metaphorical.
"My fear of insects is driving my wife crazy."
"It will take a lot of patience to finish this book."
"The pressure of his responsibilities caused his breakdown."
The mind is often seen as a machine or a brittle object, and thus can operate, its wheels can be seen turning or it can be be rusty. The mind, when pictured as brittle, can be easily crushed, break under examination, go to pieces, or even be shattered.
The book illuminates many of these fascinating concepts, of which I'll mention just a few more: "Theories are buildings" and can thus be constructed and supported, can explode or collapse.
"Ideas are food" means that they might be fishy, we may stew over them, digest them or fail to swallow them. They can leave a bad taste, or be half baked or warmed over.
Love, say these authors, is seen metaphorically as an electromagnetic or gravitational force, as a patient, as magic, as insanity, or as war. "The eyes are containers for emotion."
Wealth is a hidden object which we seek and lose. And on that note, I'd like to say how much value I found in this book. After all, as the authors say "ideas are money," and this book is a treasure trove of them.
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