Global ETD Search

1	Punning Exploiting External and Internal Metaphors : A Study of Groucho Marx's Use of Metaphor Reversal Larsson, Kalle January 2007 (has links) <p>The aim of this study has been to analyse metaphorical strings which have been interpreted literally, a process referred to as metaphor reversal. This was first described by Löflund (1999:18) and the specific term was later coined by Alm-Arvius (2006:6). Metaphor reversal is basically a subcategory of the broader term polysemy punning.</p><p>When a metaphor unexpectedly is interpreted literally, a humorous effect takes place and a pun is created. Especially if the metaphorisation in question has an entrenched figurative meaning, the unexpectedness of the literal interpretation is greater and the pun more obvious. The examples of these puns exploiting metaphor reversal have been taken from films featuring the verbal comedian Groucho Marx (GM), who frequently used this type and other kinds of puns in his films.</p><p>The terms internal and external metaphor, coined by Alm-Arvius (2003:78), have been used in order to distinguish between two different types of metaphorisations. Internal metaphor refers to metaphors with obvious internal collocational clashes and external metaphor refers to metaphors without such clashes, which can thus be given a literal as well as a figurative reading. However, this is not a clear-cut distinction and occasional overlapping between the two categories is common. Therefore, a continuum has been given which shows the overlapping category ‘more figurative external metaphors’. These are metaphors without collocational clashes, but with entrenched figurative meanings which make them metaphorical and not literal.</p><p>GM does not only revert external metaphors; he also reverts internal metaphors although this category contains collocational clashes which should make a literal interpretation impossible. Internal metaphor puns tend to be more absurd than external metaphor puns due to the collocational clashes which make the literal interpretation less probable. Reverted external metaphors are referred to as REM and reverted internal metaphors as RIM.</p><p>Most examples analysed are metaphorisations with idiom status with clearly preferred figurative meanings. Consequently, their figurative meanings are deeply entrenched and should not be altered. However, these figurative meanings are altered by GM in his punning; they are reverted and interpreted literally. This indicates that one of the few occasions when it is accepted or even possible to interpret a metaphorical idiom literally is in punning.</p> polysemy punning metaphor reversal figurative meaning literal meaning internal metaphor external metaphor idiom continuum universe of discourse Languages and linguistics Språkvetenskap
2	This paper sure is a brass ring! : A quantitative study on the effect of context for non-native students’ interpretation of English idioms. Halling, Angelica January 2018 (has links) Idioms are a big part of languages but can cause trouble for communication, especially for non-native speakers of a language. Interpreting idioms correctly means that one must derive a figurative meaning from words that individually mean something else. Recent research primarily focuses on the impact of context for successful idiom comprehension and seems to prioritize native speakers’ understanding of them. This study investigates the impact of context for Swedish non-native upper secondary students’ interpretation of English idioms. It further explores if grades and level of education are factors to consider. In a two-part, multiple-choice test, 53 students were presented with 10 idioms in context and 10 idioms out of context with two additional questions regarding level of education and last received grade in English. The students were also asked whether they had seen each idiom before or not. The results showed that context and grade seem to have impact on non-native students’ interpretation of idioms to some extent, but level of education does not seem to. One interesting finding was that idioms were interpreted correctly even though they were neither presented in context nor were considered familiar by the students. A possible conclusion is therefore that even if context is an important factor for successful idiom interpretation for non-native students, several other factors might be of equal importance. idiom interpretation non-native students context Sweden figurative meaning familiarity transparency General Language Studies and Linguistics
3	Onomatopoeic phrasal verbs : A corpus study of their meanings and usage in American English Rydblom, Oskar January 2010 (has links) <p>This study examines how the meanings of onomatopoeic phrasal verbs are created and in which register these verbs are most frequently used. Through the study of previous research on the subject qualities of onomatopoeia and phrasal verbs are identified. Based on this a framework for identifying phrasal verbs and categorizing the meanings of onomatopoeic verbs and particles was created. Using the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), a study of concordance lines and frequency in different registers was carried out on 50 onomatopoeic phrasal verbs. These verbs were constructed from ten mono-syllabic onomatopoeic verbs and three opposite pairs of spatial adverbs. The study found that several metaphorical meanings of the onomatopoeic verbs examined were not listed in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). The meanings of the particles were strongly linked to metaphorical structures.The conclusion of this study was that onomatopoeic verbs possess a flexibility that allows them to create a variety of different meanings. Furthermore, the types of meaning can be categorized after a pattern, although this pattern is often not found in the dictionary. The onomatopoeic phrasal verbs studied were most frequent in the fiction register, more so than other phrasal verbs. Understanding of the metaphorical nature of particles such as up and down is imperative to understand how the meaning of a phrasal verb is created. This should be taken into consideration when teaching English as a second language or creating a dictionary.</p> Compositionality corpus study figurative meaning extension of meaning meaning metaphors onomatopoeia ontological metaphors orientational metaphors phrasal verbs registers semantic English language Engelska språket
4	Punning Exploiting External and Internal Metaphors : A Study of Groucho Marx's Use of Metaphor Reversal Larsson, Kalle January 2007 (has links) The aim of this study has been to analyse metaphorical strings which have been interpreted literally, a process referred to as metaphor reversal. This was first described by Löflund (1999:18) and the specific term was later coined by Alm-Arvius (2006:6). Metaphor reversal is basically a subcategory of the broader term polysemy punning. When a metaphor unexpectedly is interpreted literally, a humorous effect takes place and a pun is created. Especially if the metaphorisation in question has an entrenched figurative meaning, the unexpectedness of the literal interpretation is greater and the pun more obvious. The examples of these puns exploiting metaphor reversal have been taken from films featuring the verbal comedian Groucho Marx (GM), who frequently used this type and other kinds of puns in his films. The terms internal and external metaphor, coined by Alm-Arvius (2003:78), have been used in order to distinguish between two different types of metaphorisations. Internal metaphor refers to metaphors with obvious internal collocational clashes and external metaphor refers to metaphors without such clashes, which can thus be given a literal as well as a figurative reading. However, this is not a clear-cut distinction and occasional overlapping between the two categories is common. Therefore, a continuum has been given which shows the overlapping category ‘more figurative external metaphors’. These are metaphors without collocational clashes, but with entrenched figurative meanings which make them metaphorical and not literal. GM does not only revert external metaphors; he also reverts internal metaphors although this category contains collocational clashes which should make a literal interpretation impossible. Internal metaphor puns tend to be more absurd than external metaphor puns due to the collocational clashes which make the literal interpretation less probable. Reverted external metaphors are referred to as REM and reverted internal metaphors as RIM. Most examples analysed are metaphorisations with idiom status with clearly preferred figurative meanings. Consequently, their figurative meanings are deeply entrenched and should not be altered. However, these figurative meanings are altered by GM in his punning; they are reverted and interpreted literally. This indicates that one of the few occasions when it is accepted or even possible to interpret a metaphorical idiom literally is in punning. polysemy punning metaphor reversal figurative meaning literal meaning internal metaphor external metaphor idiom continuum universe of discourse Specific Languages Studier av enskilda språk
5	Onomatopoeic phrasal verbs : A corpus study of their meanings and usage in American English Rydblom, Oskar January 2010 (has links) This study examines how the meanings of onomatopoeic phrasal verbs are created and in which register these verbs are most frequently used. Through the study of previous research on the subject qualities of onomatopoeia and phrasal verbs are identified. Based on this a framework for identifying phrasal verbs and categorizing the meanings of onomatopoeic verbs and particles was created. Using the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), a study of concordance lines and frequency in different registers was carried out on 50 onomatopoeic phrasal verbs. These verbs were constructed from ten mono-syllabic onomatopoeic verbs and three opposite pairs of spatial adverbs. The study found that several metaphorical meanings of the onomatopoeic verbs examined were not listed in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). The meanings of the particles were strongly linked to metaphorical structures.The conclusion of this study was that onomatopoeic verbs possess a flexibility that allows them to create a variety of different meanings. Furthermore, the types of meaning can be categorized after a pattern, although this pattern is often not found in the dictionary. The onomatopoeic phrasal verbs studied were most frequent in the fiction register, more so than other phrasal verbs. Understanding of the metaphorical nature of particles such as up and down is imperative to understand how the meaning of a phrasal verb is created. This should be taken into consideration when teaching English as a second language or creating a dictionary. Compositionality corpus study figurative meaning extension of meaning meaning metaphors onomatopoeia ontological metaphors orientational metaphors phrasal verbs registers semantic Specific Languages Studier av enskilda språk
6	English Colour Terms in Context Steinvall, Anders January 2002 (has links) <p>This thesis examines usage of English colour terms in context, based on an extensive computerised text corpus, the Bank of English. It describes the ways in which English colour terms may be used to refer to nuances outside their normal area of designation and to attributes outside the colour domain. Usage patterns are analysed on three different levels: with regard to the overall frequency of occurrences, nominal domains and individual tokens, respectively. </p><p>Cognitive linguistics supplies the theoretical framework employed in the analyses of the observed patterns. The study identifies three types of usage where colour terms refer to peripheral colour nuances or to concepts outside the colour domain: classifying, figurative and marked usage. </p><p>When a colour term has a classifying function, it can be used outside the normal area of designation. This usage is analysed as a type of reference-point construction where a term referring to a salient point in the colour domain is used to subcategorise an entity whose actual colour may be only a peripheral member of the category named by the colour term. An analysis of the OED and the Bank of English shows that this type of usage is primarily restricted to a few of the most salient basic terms. </p><p>This study points to the close affinities between classifying and figurative usage. Figurative expressions of colour terms frequently have a classifying function. I argue that figurative meanings are derived through two types of metonymy: +SALIENT ATTRIBUTE FOR OBJECT+ and +SALIENT CONCRETE ATTRIBUTE FOR SALIENT ABSTRACT ATTRIBUTE+. </p><p>Marked usage arises when specific colour terms are used in nominal domains where the specificity is not expected. This phenomenon is consequently confined to non-basic colour terms. </p><p>On the basis of the established patterns of usage and the frequency of occurrences, this thesis suggests that the colour category may be analysed as a radial category, with the basic colour terms forming the centre. </p> English language basic colour terms elaborate colour terms cognitive linguistics metonymy domain context markedness figurative meaning type modification classifying function vantage reference point attribute entrenchment radial category corpus Engelska English language Engelska språket
7	English Colour Terms in Context Steinvall, Anders January 2002 (has links) This thesis examines usage of English colour terms in context, based on an extensive computerised text corpus, the Bank of English. It describes the ways in which English colour terms may be used to refer to nuances outside their normal area of designation and to attributes outside the colour domain. Usage patterns are analysed on three different levels: with regard to the overall frequency of occurrences, nominal domains and individual tokens, respectively. Cognitive linguistics supplies the theoretical framework employed in the analyses of the observed patterns. The study identifies three types of usage where colour terms refer to peripheral colour nuances or to concepts outside the colour domain: classifying, figurative and marked usage. When a colour term has a classifying function, it can be used outside the normal area of designation. This usage is analysed as a type of reference-point construction where a term referring to a salient point in the colour domain is used to subcategorise an entity whose actual colour may be only a peripheral member of the category named by the colour term. An analysis of the OED and the Bank of English shows that this type of usage is primarily restricted to a few of the most salient basic terms. This study points to the close affinities between classifying and figurative usage. Figurative expressions of colour terms frequently have a classifying function. I argue that figurative meanings are derived through two types of metonymy: +SALIENT ATTRIBUTE FOR OBJECT+ and +SALIENT CONCRETE ATTRIBUTE FOR SALIENT ABSTRACT ATTRIBUTE+. Marked usage arises when specific colour terms are used in nominal domains where the specificity is not expected. This phenomenon is consequently confined to non-basic colour terms. On the basis of the established patterns of usage and the frequency of occurrences, this thesis suggests that the colour category may be analysed as a radial category, with the basic colour terms forming the centre. English language basic colour terms elaborate colour terms cognitive linguistics metonymy domain context markedness figurative meaning type modification classifying function vantage reference point attribute entrenchment radial category corpus English language Engelska språket
8	Blízká pravda vzdálených metafor: Jak metafory tvoří svět / Close Truth of Distant Metaphors: How Metaphors Create the World Picková, Kateřina January 2018 (has links) The thesis deals with a metaphor and its place in philosophy. It engages in a concept of metaphor as a transference with a help of Aristotle, Nietzsche, Ricoeur, and others, and explores consequences which follow from such a concept in the perspective of truth conditions. Firstly, it focuses on an exploration of a nature of the metaphor with a relation to an earlier philosophical tradition. Secondly, it examines categories of similarity, reference and imagination as fundamental constituents of metaphorical utterances. Furthermore, it also re-evaluates the distinction between literal and figurative meaning and living and dead metaphors to uncover the metaphor as a creative principle of language, which is characteristic by its actualizing and approaching power.
9	Critères de figement : L’identification des expressions figées en français contemporain Svensson, Maria Helena January 2004 (has links) Although there are units larger than the word in language, linguists have not been able to agree on a definition of these units. This study examines a variety of notions, relevant in the study of ”fixed” or ”frozen” expressions in contemporary French. Criteria such as memorization, unique context, non-compositionality, marked syntax, lexical blocking and grammatical blocking are analyzed in detail. A closer look at them reveals that in fact only one of them, lexical blocking, is both necessary and sufficient in the description of a fixed expression. The other criteria are, however, also important to the notion of ”fixedness”. It may well be that the criteria that have often been proposed in linguistic literature would benefit from being organized in a family resemblance rather than being used as necessary and sufficient conditions. French language memorization unique context compositionality non-compositionality marked syntax lexical blocking grammatical blocking fixedness frozenness literal meaning figurative meaning motivation non-motivation transparency opacity analyzability unanalyzability idiom proverb collocation metaphor phraseology mémorisation contexte unique compositionnalité non-compositionnalité syntaxe marquée blocage lexical blocage grammatical figement défigement sens propre sens figuré motivation non-motivation transparance opacité analysabilité inanalysabilité idiome proverbe collocation phrasème gallicisme locution métaphore Franska French language Franska språket

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