The evolution of conceptual metaphor in the light of recent research analysis.

Abstract

The pioneers of cognitive linguistics George Lakoff and Mark Johnsen claimed that human conceptual system is fundamentally metaphorical in nature in terms of both thoughts and actions. The scientists stated that concepts govern our thoughts and everyday functioning, as well as structure perception of the world and relation to it and thus define people’s everyday reality. It is important to take into account that human conceptual system is only partially conscious and one of the ways to examine one’s system is to study the language. George Lakoff and Mark Johnsen, in their fundamental work “Metaphors we live by”, proved that language is an important source of evidence for the conceptual system research and human conceptual system is largely metaphorical.