Transformations of metaphor model in different text types

Suvorova M., Mishlanova S.

Since knowledge representation in discourse is given an increasing amount of research attention while many aspects of the role of metaphor in cognitive processes remain to be studied, it is important to study the transformations which scientific metaphors might undergo in the process of knowledge communication. The article deals with the theory behind the present study of transdiscursive transformation of metaphor model, a method for creating a transdiscursive corpus as well as analyzing and interpreting metaphor at three levels (language, thought, communication). The research conducted using a corpus derived from a number of texts by S. Hawking representing expert, semi-expert, and non-expert knowledge in cosmology shows that the most significant increase in the proportion of direct and novel metaphors occurs in the transition from expert to semi-expert levels while the most significant increase in the proportion of deliberate metaphors occurs in the transition from semi-expert to non-expert levels.

Keywords:discourse, metaphor, transdiscursive transformation of metaphor model, three-dimensional model of metaphor, cosmology, S. Hawking