What is it about?
The paper provides linguistic evidence of the use and function of metaphors in medical discourse, by comparing two genres, namely research papers and press articles. For that purpose, a sample of texts in both genres is analysed. Four types of conceptual metaphorical projections are identified according to Conceptual Metaphor Theory, i.e. structural, image, ontological, and orientational. I describe how these mappings contribute to form concepts and to conceptualize the field, thereby exploring knowledge construction through metaphor usage. The results suggest a characterization of metaphorical concepts in the two medical genres. The conclusions show divergent tendencies in the use of metaphor in the genres analysed.
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Why is it important?
The paper contributes to understanding the implications of the use of metaphors in technical and scientific language.
Perspectives
We can see some aspects of language use and meaning that may be hidden to many speakers. The paper may help language users to become aware of the semantic and pragmatic implications of what they say or write.
Dr Ignasi Navarro i Ferrando
Universitat Jaume I
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This page is a summary of: Metaphorical Concepts and Their Cognitive Functions in Medical Discourse: Research Papers vs. Press Articles, ESP Today, January 2021, Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade,
DOI: 10.18485/esptoday.2021.9.1.8.
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