Metaphor Networks

Where do our metaphors come from? Why do we say 'he has a new flame'? Why does the colour green signify immaturity in English but strength in French? Why can we say 'dry humour' today but not 'dry' (thin) arms as in the Middle Ages? Metaphor Networks attempts to answer such questions by exploring the evolution of figurative language. Richard Trim investigates how metaphors are created today by being linked to similar concepts and how they are associated to images in the past. The findings of this study reveal that certain regular patterns emerge. With the aid of substantial evidence from former and present-day European languages, the author proposes a number of theories on metaphor evolution and thereby offers a considerable contribution to historical linguistics.