Peculiarities of realization of orientational metaphor

Abstract

The authors of the theory of cognitive metaphor, identify different types of cognitive metaphor according to the semantic criteria. Thus another kind of metaphorical concept is identified  as an orientational  metaphor. The article deals with the peculiarities of realization of  orientatinal metaphors.

 In the conceptual system  of nation emotions and abstract concepts, everything that is connected with our inner world in terms of invisible and less perceivable processes is associated with physical quantities, physical condition, spatial dimensions. There is an abundance of metaphorical expressions in the language, which relate human emotions and other abstract notions with vertical or horizontal location in space. These types of metaphors do not exist in isolation but against specific cultural background.

In English lingual perception there exist metaphors Happy is up and Sad is down   which are reflected in the language.

Happy is up ; Sad is down .

I am feeling up. That boosted my spirits.

My spirits rose. You are in high spirits.

I am feeling down. I’m depressed

He’s really low these days. I fell into a depression.

[Grigalashvili, 2005:90]

Types of cognitive metaphor defined as orientational metaphors by G. Lakoff and M. Johnson exist in Georgian language, for  instance, misfortune( failure, defeat)  is oriented down . Correspondingly  fortune (happiness, success, promotion) is oriented up.

The longest ever period of downfall in the history of a country has started.

As a result of this behavior his reputation was severely tarnished .

Being downgraded young man felt very humiliated .

He set to work  in high spirits.

In our conceptual system different phenomena are connected with spatial orientation and condition the existence of orienational metaphors, which occupy very important place in language.