Metaphor : its cognitive force and linguistic structure /

A refined and incisive study of the cognitive products of metaphor. Kittay (philosophy, SUNY, Stony Brook) combs through practically every other expert in her specialized field. She makes her case with such sustained and unremitting analysis that probably only other metaphor specialists will remain undaunted and stay with her to the final page. The author steers her way with admirable care to her own distinctive philosophical position; that is, ``Metaphor effects a transference of meaning, not between two terms, but between two structured domains of content, or semantic fields ... {{which}} provide the contrastive and affinitive relations that govern a term's literal use. ... These relations are projected into a second domain which is thereby reordered with significant cognitive effects.'' G. Lakoff and M. Johnson's Metaphors We Live By (CH, May '81) seems more manageable for those whose interest in metaphor is not so rigorously specialized, yet who are serious enough to be intrigued by how language sheds light on the fascinating mystery of the human self. Kittay's Metaphor contains an exhaustive bibliography. Recommended for graduate students and faculty.-B.S. Llamzon. Loyola University of Chicago