JOURNAL ARTICLE

The semantics of a parallel reality: What does religion do to metaphor in an Ancient Egyptian context?

  • Published In: Metaphor & the Social World, 2023, v. 13, n. 1. P. 81 1 of 3

  • Database: Communication Source 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Di Biase-Dyson, Camilla 3 of 3

Abstract

This paper considers the use of figurative language when intangible or supernatural phenomena are described in language. The case studies are derived from texts written in Ancient Egyptian, an extinct Afroasiatic language (ca. 3200 bce–1300 ce). It is argued that a MIPVU-based analysis, otherwise very useful for interrogating all kinds of texts, even those from the ancient world, needs to be modified to account for the layers of meaning encountered in texts in which a deity is being described. A more nuanced approach, which considers the scalarity of metaphor and reconsiders the conceptual modelling of metaphorical language in a culturally sensitive way, is proposed. As such, the methods proposed here may be useful for scholars working on metaphor in texts with religious content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Metaphor & the Social World. 2023/01, Vol. 13, Issue 1, p81
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Language and Linguistics
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:2210-4070
  • DOI:10.1075/msw.00030.dib
  • Accession Number:164779083
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Metaphor & the Social World is the property of John Benjamins Publishing Co. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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