If one states the terms being compared, is that not more like an allegory? Plato's allegory of the cave places our experience of knowing and ignorance side by side with an image that is meant to correspond with it. — Paine
I don't think any of these words, with the exception of "shit," is a metaphor. There has to be a comparison for it to be a metaphor. To say "She is a trailblazer" is a metaphor. Just "trailblazer" by itself is not. I think "shit," as an exclamation is a metaphor, because it represents "This situation is shit," which is a comparison. — T Clark
Watch short documentaries about: Metaphor and Linguistic Diversity, Metaphor and Emotion, Metaphor and Communication, and Metaphor and Creativity.
...so with "Geworfenheit" there is merely a tenor. there can be no mapping. Although it is understandable why one would think it is a metaphor, it seems technically not to be. — jancanc
I don't think any of these words, with the exception of "shit," is a metaphor. There has to be a comparison for it to be a metaphor. — T Clark
A metaphor is not a comparison. A metaphor is a meaning attributed figuratively to a parallel literal meaning.yes, I agree. — jancanc
Light is a metaphor for clarity, reason, sound judgment, knowledge, truth, etc. — Agent Smith
This is fussy and probably tangential, but 'yes, if the other word is implicit'. If my boss walks in the room and I cry out in a buttlicking way 'Lion!' Well, that's a metaphor or I'm deluded. Hopefully the latter.Can a Metaphor be a single word?
Which particularly? (I can't handle "these" ...)I don't think these are metaphors. — T Clark
:up: Nice! It gives examples of single-word metaphors (emphasizing the word that is used metaphorically), as I did too.Found this but haven't read it through properly
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-conceptual-metaphor-1689899 — Amity
What about two words blended into a single one (scapegoat, portemanteau, mockingbird, ...) ? :smile:therein lies my problem with saying a mere word (in isolation) is a metaphor. — jancanc
But then we need examples. — Bylaw
Some one-word metaphors:
Enlightenment
Deadly
Levity
Pissed (drunken)
Pissed (angry)
Pissed (dissed)
Shit (too many figurative meanings to mention)
Brownies (girl guides)
Trailblazer
Cowboy
Ironic
Wordy
Wooden
Etc — god must be atheist
What about two words blended into a single one (scapegoat, portemanteau, mockingbird, ...) ? :smile: — Alkis Piskas
A metaphor is not a comparison. A metaphor is a meaning attributed figuratively to a parallel literal meaning. — god must be atheist
So it's established that metaphor cannot be a single word. Great. What now? — emancipate
I assume you mean all of them. — Alkis Piskas
The example used py the poster himself --"she has a heart of gold"-- also fits to the abobe scheme, — Alkis Piskas
In my example "he holds a chair in physics" the word "chair" is used figuratively. — Alkis Piskas
If, however, the topic asks for striclly single words, i.e. creating a metaphor by uttering a single word, — Alkis Piskas
So anyway, what does it matter if metaphor can be a single word or not? So it's established that metaphor cannot be a single word. Great. What now? — emancipate
As far as I can tell, all that has been established is that a metaphor cannot be a single word without context, which, however, has no bearing on the OP. — jamalrob
Recently I heard a philosopher speaking about a certain term Heidegger used as being a 'metaphor"....yet, is not a metaphor a comparison between a minimum of 2 terms, concepts, etc. For example, a metaphor is "she has a heart of gold".....we have here the metaphorical vehicle ("Gold") and the tenor or subject of the metaphor... ("heart"). But neither "heart" nor "gold", when taken alone, constitute a metaphor. — jancanc
You are right. That's why I said, "it's the best one could do", i.e. the nearest to single-word metaphors one can get.I would say these are only one word (compound nouns)...denoting the existence of only one entity! — jancanc
Sorry. Let me clarify. Assume that is is established. Hypothetically, what then? — emancipate
Thanks! I got richer today by one literary term! :grin:Technically, I think it is what's called a metonymy — T Clark
Why doesn't it have any bearing? — T Clark
Recently I heard a philosopher speaking about a certain term Heidegger used as being a 'metaphor" — jancanc
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