Metaphors in Online Newspapers: analyzing the effect of Hungarian political changes in metaphor usage

Abstract

What is the function of metaphors? Why do we need them? These questions are in the forefront of many linguistic studies. The most significant one must be the enormous study of Metaphors we live by (2003) by Lakoff and Johnson. They have introduced a new view of metaphors, namely the “cognitive linguistic view”. They underlined modern aspects of metaphor, such as it is a property of concepts and not a word, as the traditional concept stated, or metaphor is often not based on similarity which also contradicts the traditional view. Furthermore, the two linguists claim that the function of metaphor is to understand certain concepts better, and not only for artistic purposes, however it is commonly held that a metaphor is a figure of speech that we use to express special effects. Lakoff and Johnson denied the last element of the traditional view that is a metaphor is used effortlessly in our everyday life, so it becomes an inevitable feature of human thought and reasoning. Their book proves the fact that we really live by metaphors. Of course whether we ignore the existence of metaphors or to accept it by using them consciously, nevertheless metaphors are organic parts of our life.