Cognitive-pragmatic functions of metaphor in medical discourse

Author(s):  O.D.Vishnyakova, Dr., Prof., Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia, ol-vish@mail.ru

Issue:  Volume 37, № 2

Rubric:  Romanic-German Philology

Annotation:  The metaphorical nature of human thinking is its inherent property. Metaphorization can be regarded as one of the basic mental operations being necessary in the process of cognition. Medical discourse, represented by texts of various stylistic varieties, has its own cognitive-pragmatic characteristics in terms of metaphorical realization. The analysis of various typological varieties of texts representing medical discourse enables one to investigate the peculiarities of the metaphorical expressions realization corresponding to the particular type of discursive practice. Cognitive metaphor aimed at enhancing the attention of the addressee and adequate understanding of the meaning of the utterance plays an important role in the realization of epistemological, explicative, and contact functions in medical texts. While carrying out the transfer of information of a special character, cognitive metaphors in medical texts perform a transformative function aimed at the realization of professional medical and ethical tasks. The metaphor in medical discourse can serve both to attract attention to certain kinds of information («highlighting»), and to its mitigation, neutralization, and disguise («hiding»). Cognitive metaphor is an important tool based on metaphorical representation of the study of scientific phenomena and processes. The article deals with such metaphorical formations as the Black Death, a rubberdoor, sacred fire, a rung ladder, and others.

Keywords:  metaphor, cognitive-pragmatic functions, medical discourse, professional purposes

Full text (PDF):  Download

Downloads count:  426