In: Semiotics Theory and Applications ISBN 978-1-61728-992-7
Editor: Steven C. Hamel © 2011 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Chapter 9
CORPUS-BASED APPROACHES TO METAPHOR AND
METONYMY: REVIEW OF STEFANOWITSCH, ANATOL,
GRIES, STEFAN TH. (EDS.)
Zhiying Xin
School of Foreign Languages,
Sun Yat-sen University, P. R. ChinaWithin the broad domain of Cognitive Linguistics, empirical methods do not yet attract
deserved attraction to become a dominant tendency. Therefore, Corpus-based Approaches to
Metaphor and Metonymy (edited by Anatol Stefanowitsch and Stefan Th. Gries) makes a vital
contribution by providing corpus-based studies into a most important subfield of cognitive
linguistics, Conceptual Metaphor Theory. Meanwhile, Corpus-based Approaches to
Metaphor and Metonymy is a companion volume to Metaphor and Metonymy at the
Crossroads: A cognitive perspective (2000), edited by Antonio Barcelona, and Metaphor and
Metonymy in Comparison and Contrast (2003), edited by René Dirven and Ralf Pörings. It is
obvious that the intriguing phenomenon of metaphor and metonymy has been the pet subject
of cognitive linguists. But these previous researches are mainly on the differences and
similarities between metaphor and metonymy, and are traditional in their intuitive or
introspective approaches. In the book under review, instead, the researchers argue for the
objectivist basis of linguistic descriptions by ―laying the methodological foundations for a
strong emphasis on authentic data and the empirical verification of many of the fascinating
theoretical claims‖ (1). The contributions present case studies of metaphor and metonymy
involving structural, textual, contextual, cross-linguistic, (cross-)cultural, social, and/or
ideological aspects. By challenging and refining established theories, and putting forward
frameworks for conducting corpus studies, the collection makes a timely, valuable and
inspiring contribution to the development of cognitive corpus research. In the following
sections I will summarize general conclusions this volume highlights, with particular
consideration for approaches and methodologies in the identification and retrieval of
E-mail address: [email protected]