Showing posts with label Grammatical Metaphor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grammatical Metaphor. Show all posts

Tuesday, 9 August 2022

Chemical Symbolism As Metaphorical

It is the grammatical metaphor afforded by chemical symbolism that enables the systematic expansion of the semantics of the field of chemistry, most explicitly in terms of quantified composition. Cf. Halliday & Matthiessen (1999: 288-9):

It is the fact that metaphor multiplies meanings within the semantic system that opens up the possibility of metaphorical chains, with one congruent starting-point and another highly metaphorical end-point (A"' stands for A" stands for A' stands for A; e.g. 'engine failure* stands for 'the failing of an engine' stands for 'an engine failed'). The semantic system is being expanded along the dimension of the metaphorical token-value relation; but the expansion is still within the semantic system itself.

NaCl stands for sodium chloride stands for salt. (Thing+Thing stands for Classifier^Thing stands for Thing.)

Monday, 17 May 2021

Uncovering Congruent Agency By Undoing Ellipsis And Unpacking Metaphor


A.

 (1) Reinstating the elided Agent:


(2) Unpacking the metaphorical Agent:


B.


Here, despite the fact that adults are killing children in a refugee camp, no agency whatsoever is construed.



Halliday (2003 [1993]: 215):
… it is precisely in the "reporting" of pronouncements and speeches on the one hand, and of massacres, terrorist acts and nuclear disasters on the other, that linguistic analysis most clearly reveals the opposing ideologies that are being promoted in different organs. Construing events as news is a highly political act.

Tuesday, 2 March 2021

'Came' As Identifying Process


The lexical choice of came stylistically adds the features of 'motion' and 'direction' to the relational Process.

Friday, 11 December 2020

Tagged Imperative Or Metaphorical Interrogative?


The first analysis treats this instance as a tagged imperative clause, whereas the second treats it as an interpersonal metaphor of mood: a command realised as polar interrogative clause. Cf


This raises the question as to whether the tagging of the imperative facilitated the genesis of the metaphorical variant.

Tuesday, 24 March 2020

Gene Competition

genes
compete
for selection
Behaver
Process: behavioural
Cause: purpose

Such a construal ascribes both consciousness (Behaver) and intention (Purpose) to functional segments of DNA molecules.

Tuesday, 17 December 2019

Surprise Gift


Agent Phenomenon
Process: mental
Medium Senser

it
surprised
me

it
gave
me
a surprise
Agent Actor
Process: material
Beneficiary Recipient
Medium Goal

Note that if a surprise were interpreted as Scope: process, the Actor must then be incongruously interpreted as the Medium of the Process gave.

Tuesday, 7 May 2019

Impinging Sensing Figure Realised Metaphorically As An Existential Clause




Process:
Phenomenon
mental: perception
Senser
presently
there
rose
a wild strain of unearthly melody
upon the ear of
little Lusmore


Process: existential
Existent
Location