2

What is the difference between structural and ontological metaphors?

Time is money is an ontological metaphor that borrows an abstract quality of time to something concrete like money. But could time is money be also considered a structural metaphor, since it highlights relationships and patterns within our experience?

Improve this question
4
  • If these are formal types of metaphors, you need to provide definitions. I doubt the are. I can take just about any adjective and prepend it to the word metaphor.
    – Lambie
    Commented Nov 11, 2023 at 17:54
  • 1
    @Lambie, this typology apparently comes from Lakoff’s and Johnson’s Metaphors We Live By.
    – Paul Tanenbaum
    Commented Nov 13, 2023 at 20:59
  • "Metaphor" is an overloaded concept. The intended form of this saying is surely Time = Money as a term which is physical-financially more or less correct. We speak of proportional factors. If that's a metaphor, I don't want to be a linguist.
    – vectory
    Commented Nov 17, 2023 at 12:09
  • In roughly how many languages might that or other examples apply, to make this more relevant here in Linguistics than the more obvious English Language Usage?
    – Robbie Goodwin
    Commented Nov 1 at 21:10

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

Well, I don't think TIME IS MONEY is an ontological metaphor. Coins or cash money can be said "objects", but in the conceptual metaphor,MONEY doesn't necessarily mean coins or cash (if so, how about digital money?). The confusion in demarcating structural conceptual metaphor and ontological conceptual metaphor arises from the source to be mapped. Lakoff and Johnson(1980) takes as the source domain things which are "physical objects and substance" or "entities", to which water, tub, and sun belong while money and war don't. However, the boundary between the two are not clearcut. Take a look at " ANGER IS FIRE". It seems that it may fall into both categories.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.