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2CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE ENGLISH CONCEPT GENIUS
Strochenko L. V.
Odessa National I.I. Mechnikov University, candidate of philological sciences, associate professor
Abstract
The article is dedicated to the investigation of the peculiarities of verbalization of the concept GENIUS in the English language, namely, consideration of the aphorisms with the component genius. About 100 English aphorisms with the genius component have been analyzed. It has been established that in the given expressions several models of the conceptual metaphor are realized. Conceptual metaphor is the main means of the conceptual system of a person by which we understand and perceive one type of objects in terms of objects of another type. The research made it possible to distinguish several conceptual metaphors, in particular GENIUS IS MADNESS, GENIUS IS FIRE, GENIUS IS WORK, GENIUS IS PRECIOUS, GENIUS IS ENEMY, GENIUS IS SIMPLE.
Keywords: concept, aphorism, conceptual metaphor, genius.
The phenomenon of genius throughout history has fascinated academic and pop-culture authors alike. Generally, it is accepted that a genius is not only someone with a very high IQ but also someone who breaks new ground with new ideas, discoveries, inventions or even works of art. In other words, a genius challenges the way other people view the field in which he works in - or even the world at large [5, p. 4]. Generally, it is accepted that a genius is not only someone with a very high IQ but also someone who breaks new ground with new ideas, discoveries, inventions or even works of art. In other words, a genius challenges the way other people view the field in which he works in - or even the world at large.
Considerable attention was paid to the study of different aspects of genius in philosophy and psychology. Among main trends in the study of the phenomenon of genius are: irrational approach, which emphasizes the divine nature of genius and is closely related to archaic and religious ideas; rational approach, within which genius is seen as the innate quality of a person, which makes it possible to clarify genius as a property of the human mind and to study it in different directions in psychology and genetics, as well as to determine biological (instincts, memory, genetic heredity, innate abilities to creativity) and psychological (fantasy, imagination, inspiration, spontaneity) factors of genius; empirical approach, according to which genius is the acquired property of a person in the process of his/her development; socio-cultural approach, which considers the significance and, at the same time, problematic interaction of a genius and society [4].
The theoretical premises of the work are the basics of semantic-cognitive approach to the study of concepts. According to Z.D. Popova and J.S. Sternin, representatives of the semantic-cognitive approach, concept is a basic unit of human mental code, which has an internal structure consisting of conceptual features; it is the result of the individual and social cognizing of the world. Conceptual features contain comprehensive information about the corresponding object or phenomenon, as well as the interpretation of information of public consciousness and the treatment of the subject or phenomenon [2].
Representatives of this trend treat language as one of the main tools of cognition and conceptualization of the world. To examine a concept through the language
is the most reliable way of linguistic analysis which allows to detect its conceptual features and to work out the model of the concept. The structure of a concept is manifested through dictionary definitions of the corresponding lexical units (the name of the concept and its synonyms) and through speech contexts.
The aim of the present paper is to study types of conceptual metaphors in the structure of the concept GENIUS in the English speech.
Let us first consider theoretical aspect of this linguistic phenomenon. Conceptual metaphor is one of the most important terms in cognitive linguistics, which refers to the process of establishing cognitive links between several concepts or conceptual structures, belonging to different domains. Metaphor is "understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another" [1].
Unlike the traditional linguistic approach to metaphor, conceptual metaphor, as G. Lakoff sees it, represents a universal quality of thinking. Conceptual metaphor does not belong to the language only, it can be expressed both by verbal and non-verbal means - arts, music, gestures, etc. So metaphor is a cognitive process that is reflected in language structures.
According to Lakoff and Johnson's Theory, conceptual metaphor represents interaction of two cognitive structures (or domains): the source domain and the target domain. The target domain is structured similarly to the source domain, i.e. metaphorical correspondences or, in other words, metaphorical mappings are established between them [6].
As Kovecses suggests, "conceptual metaphor will continue to play a key role in the development of cognitive linguistics as a general study of language (as well as several other disciplines outside linguistics), as we keep discovering its extensive presence at all levels of linguistic description and its important contribution to connecting mind with the body, language with culture, body with culture, and language with the brain" [7].
Aphorism is defined as a short original statement, a generalized, deep thought, expressed in a concise form, sometimes unexpectedly paradoxical [3].
During the study, 100 English aphorisms with the genius component have been analyzed. It has been established that several models of the conceptual metaphor are realized in these expressions, in particular,
GENIUS IS MADNESS represented in such aphorisms as:
"There is no great genius without some touch of madness" (Aristotle); "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring" (Marilyn Monroe);
"Genius is one of the many forms of insanity" (Cesare Lombroso).
It should be noted that the association of genius with madness is one of the quite common theories of the nature of this phenomenon.
The next conceptual metaphor - GENIUS IS WORK - emphasizes the importance of work, the efforts presented by geniuses for their achievements, for example,
"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration'" (Thomas A. Edison);
"The only genius that's worth anything is the genius for hard work" (Kathleen Winsor);
"If you knew how much work went into it, you wouldn't call it genius"" (Michelangelo Buonarroti).
Ascribed to the ingenious scientist's ability to make complex things accessible to the understanding of ordinary people is reflected in the conceptual metaphor GENIUS IS SIMPLE, for example:
"A genius is someone who takes a complex thing and makes it look simple. An academic does the opposite"" (Robert Fanney);
"Any fool can make something complicated. It takes a genius to make it simple"" (Woody Guthrie);
"The role of genius is not to complicate the simple, but to simplify the complicated" (Criss Jami).
The following comparisons of genius with talent contain the indication that real genius is almost unattainable as the sun. Thus conceptual metaphor GENIUS IS FIRE GENIUS IS FIRE is realized:
"Talent is a flame. Genius is a fire"" (Bernard Williams);
"The true artist is not proud: he unfortunately sees that art has no limits; he feels darkly how far he is from the goal, and though he may be admired by others, he is sad not to have reached that point to which his better genius only appears as a distant, guiding sun" (Ludwig van Beethoven).
Conceptual metaphor GENIUS IS PRECIOUS is realized in comparison of genius without education with silver in a mine:
"Genius without education is like silver in the mine"" (Benjamin Franklin).
The last of the distinguished conceptual metaphors GENIUS IS ENEMY reflects the difficult relationship of a genius with society, which is quite often hostile to people with extraordinary abilities:
" When a great genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign; that the dunces are all in confederacy against him" (Jonathan Swift);
"The public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything except genius" (Oscar Wilde);
"Genius inspires resentment. A sad fact of life" (Eoin Colfer);
"In the republic of mediocrity, genius is dangerous" (Robert G. Ingersoll).
As we see, these aphorisms are based on the opposition of average personalities to geniuses.
Conclusions
The study of a concept through the language is the most reliable way of linguistic analysis which allows to detect conceptual features and to work out the structural model of the concept. The structure of a concept is manifested through dictionary definitions of the corresponding lexical units and through speech contexts.
Conceptual metaphor is the main means of the conceptual system of a person by which we understand and perceive one type of objects in terms of objects of another type. The study made it possible to single out several conceptual metaphors, in particular, GENIUS IS MADNESS, GENIUS IS FIRE, GENIUS IS WORK, GENIUS IS PRECIOUS, GENIUS IS ENEMY, GENIUS IS SIMPLE.
The prospect of further research is seen in consideration of the verbalization of concept GENIUS in the English artistic discourse.
References
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