This paper researches the use of conceptual metaphors in rap and country song lyrics. It looks specifically at conceptual metaphors for the concepts of LOVE and SADNESS, focusing on what source domains are proposed in each genre, what similarities there are in source domains between the genres and the style of language found in the linguistic expressions in the two genres. Song lists and lyrics were obtained from internet sites and then, using the Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP), linguistic expressions were identified which were then subjected to a qualitative analysis. Those relating to SADNESS and LOVE were grouped according to proposed source domains for comparison. The results show that there are similarities, and some differences in the source domains identified within the genres and that they have a wide variety of sub-domains. Concrete concepts common to both genres do not exhibit the same mapping of correspondences to the target domains. There is no discernible difference in the style of language used in the linguistic expressions of the two genres. Nevertheless, the rap expressions tend to be more in the present, dynamic and at times sexually provocative whereas in country expressions they tend to be more reflective, virtuous and at times, depressing.

The present study sets out to shed light on the conceptualization of risk in two different languages, English and Spanish. In order to reveal how risk is perceived in the minds of speakers of the two languages, I undertook a comprehensive cross-linguistic survey of the conceptual metaphors related to risk-taking. This was done through the examination of the conventional collocations of the noun and the verb risk in English, and the noun riesgo and the verb arriesgar(se) in Spanish. In addition, I also focused on the analysis of the idioms that deal with risk and risk-taking in both languages. This contrastive cross-cultural linguistic study of the conceptual field of risk and risk-taking was conducted within the frameworks of corpus linguistics as well as cognitive linguistics, which means that I worked with naturally occurring data gathered from various corpora while using the conceptual theory of metaphor for the analysis of potential conceptual metaphors related to risk.

This paper analyses the similarities and differences of the cognitive structures of the English-Swedish idiom pair to step into someone’s shoes and att axla någons mantel (to shoulder someone’s mantle [lit.]) in order to investigate possible conceptual or embodied motivations for their meanings. Using dictionaries and corpora to support all findings, the conceptual nature and intended meaning of each idiom were closely analysed and compared. The investigation shows metaphorical, metonymical and embodied structures which might possibly explain why these two idioms mean the same thing as a whole even though they are lexically different from each other. The results indicate that conceptual and embodied mechanisms have motivated the meanings of the idioms, thus suggesting that idiom comprehension in general as well as second language learning would greatly benefit from a more cognitive approach.

The aim of this paper is to describe how functions of metaphors relate to translation strategiesin a translation of a popular scientific article from English to Swedish. The investigation isbased on a close reading of the source and target texts which identifies metaphors of fourdifferent functions: pedagogical, theory-constitutive, decorative and narrative. The methodfor metaphor identification is adapted from Merakchi and Rogers (2013) while the translationstrategies discussed have been borrowed from Toury (2012). These strategies reflect realtranslator behaviour and take into account source and target texts equally. The investigation starts with a quantitative summary of translation strategies which showsthat in the vast majority of cases metaphors exist simultaneously in the source and targettexts, whether it is as ―the same‖ or a ―different‖ metaphor. The qualitative analysis bringsforward that metaphors in general have a narrative function, sometimes in addition to adifferent function. It goes on to show that narrative themes are important to create links i)within the text, ii) to the scientific community and iii) within a wider cultural context, andthat this works for both source and target text independently.

The main goal of this study is to identify conceptual metaphors in two genetically distinct languages, namely Iranian Persian and British English, analyze their domains and attempt to detect possible cultural impacts on their construction. Although there are a good number of studies on the relationship between metaphor and culture in some languages, there appears to be a limited number of comparative studies on different languages with culturally distinct contexts and their metaphors. In an attempt to investigate the cultural imprints on metaphor, this thesis has a special focus on metaphors applied in two Persian and English short stories. ‘Roast Goose’ by M.A. Jamalzadeh and ‘The Luncheon’ by W.S. Maugham are two well-known near contemporary short stories, which are subject to our study. The two emotions of anxiety and greed, as the most dominant subjects of metaphorical expressions in these stories, are identified following MIP (Metaphor Identification Procedure) and the concepts involved in the construction of their underlying conceptual metaphors will be analyzed based on Kövecses’s (2010a) method. The thesis presents a conceptual approach within a cognitive linguistic perspective to pinpoint metaphors and the stories behind them in these two literal texts.

This study will examine the representation and embodiment of the body part eye(s), in proverbs. The research is cross-linguistic as the proverbs analysed are in the languages English, Swedish, and Japanese. Information about the origins of proverbs, their expansion across the globe, their use in order to embellish everyday communication in all different types of languages, even those belonging to cultures not similar to the Western norm, will be discussed with references to sources based in the area of Paremiology. The study will also investigate cultural markers found in the proverbs and how the metaphoric interpretations of eye(s) are displayed through our bodily experiences. In order to analyse the representation of eye(s) in the proverbs, through metaphoric concepts, this study will employ Lakoff and Johnson’s conceptual metaphor theory. Categories which will accompany the conceptual metaphors are based on one of the Oxford English Dictionary’s definitions of ‘eye’. Thereafter, an analysis is conducted regarding eyes(s) in the example proverbs. The results of the analysis showed that there are quite a few similarities in all three languages. However, the western languages differ from the Japanese language in regards to how the proverbs are worded. Further, cultural markers could only be found in one example in the Japanese proverbs.

This paper examines the metaphoric structures that underlie Chopin's major novel, The Awakening, as well as those underlying selected short stories. Drawing on the modern theory of metaphor described by Mark Turner, George Lakoff, and Mark Johnson, the author argues that conceptual metaphors are the structural elements that underlie our experiences, thoughts, and words, and that their presence is revealed through our everyday language. Since these conceptual structures are representative of human thought and language, they are also present in literary texts, and specifically in Chopin's texts. Conceptual metaphors and the linguistic forms that result from them are so basic a part of our thinking that we automatically construct our utterances by means of them. Accordingly, conceptual metaphor mirrors human thought processes, as demonstrated by the way we describe our experiences.

This paper analyzes the author’s own translation of a metaphor dense non-fiction text and investigates how metaphors have been translated from English to Swedish. The analysis mainly draws on Schäffner’s 2004 study that views metaphors on two levels, micro and macro, and Newmark’s 1981 prescriptive framework. The translation of metaphors is a widely discussed topic among translation scholars and it has been suggested by neurological studies that translated texts with lower metaphor density than their source texts have less emotional impact. However, the issue of translation is complicated by the translatability of metaphors as conceptual metaphor theory suggests that our understanding of metaphors is primarily based on cultural experience. The findings indicate that the metaphors in the source text can be directly translated into Swedish to a high degree, and micro-level changes do not always affect the macro-level metaphor. Based on this, it appears that macro-level metaphors at times can remain intact in the target text even if changes on the micro-level are necessary in order to conform to target language conventions. However, due to the study’s limited sample, no firm conclusions are made.

The age old question of whether language constructs reality or merely describes it has long been the source of scientific controversy. The study of metaphor finds itself in the middle of this discussion since metaphor can be argued to illustrate the very core of the matter with its attempt to explain reality in terms of what it is not. This thesis taps on to this discussion by addressing the use of metaphor in organizational context and by exploring how organizational metaphors might affect knowledge management in general and knowledge sharing in particular. CEO-letters from two Swedish organizations form the basis for exploring the potential of metaphor in organizational context. By using metaphor analysis the use of everyday linguistic expressions based on metaphorical thinking is mapped and translated into potential conceptual metaphors. Drawing upon theories within knowledge management these metaphors are then further explored in regard to the aspects they promote and hide in relation to knowledge management and knowledge sharing. Four themes are constructed based on identified potential conceptual metaphors: Journey, Competition, Wholes and parts and Personification. These themes are suggested to have the potential to influence both organizational culture and organizational identity as well as the propensity of its members to participate in knowledge initiatives. The findings in this thesis are not argued to offer groundbreaking new theories or directions. What they might contribute is a reminder to pay attention to the metaphors that construct our thoughts, whether in science or in organizational context.

As the 2016 Brexit referendum was an election largely decided by the use of language, there was merit in examining how the Leave campaign had managed to be successful. Therefore, this study asks how one of the leave campaign's main figure heads, Boris Johnson, used metaphors to frame the relationship between Britain and the EU. In addition, the ascribed conceptual role of each party was investigated. To determine this, the metaphorical framing in a pivotal speech was examined by using conceptual metaphor theory. Firstly, several linguistic metaphors were identified by using an established metaphor identification process. After careful analysis, two separate patterns in these metaphors were found and subsequently, suitable conceptual metaphors were suggested. The one relating to the relationship between Britain and the EU was proposed as AUTONOMY IS FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT. In other words, there were several linguistic metaphors exhibiting the conceptual pattern that the EU restricted Britain's freedom of movement and that this described the more abstract notion of Britain's lack of autonomy. Thus, in his speech, Boris Johnson conveyed the idea that there was an imbalance of power weighted in favour of the EU. The second conceptual metaphor, which denotes the role of the EU, was proposed as THE EU IS A MACHINE. This implies that the EU is an emotionless, non-sentient and thoughtless operation that does not inspire warmth or a sense of belonging. This pattern was not as solid as the restriction of movement pattern but other, corroborating, evidence was found. Finally, the role of Britain in the speech was not referred to using metaphors but by personal pronouns, first-person plural. This achieves the opposite effect to the conceptual metaphor THE EU IS A MACHINE. Hence, by repeatedly using we and us when referencing Britain, Boris Johnson humanises the country as he tries to foster a group feeling, a sense of togetherness. These findings highlight how politicians use the tools of linguistics to influence the electorate. Britain's unexpected exit out of the European Union had a huge impact on millions of people so it is crucial to understand how the Leave campaign had managed to swing the vote in their favour. This study shines a light on some of the techniques used to win the referendum.