(29) The importance of her decision did not penetrate at first.

(30) His surname has slipped my mind.

(31) There is a major point which seems to have escaped you.

To use Halliday's terminology (1994:117), the last examples are instances of the please-type metaphorical structuring of mental processes. Mental processes can be represented either as like-types or please-types. This means that I like X is equivalent to X pleases me. Then, It has slipped my mind/It has escaped me has the same meaning as I have forgotten it.

Ideas can also be seen as objects which are pushed into someone's mind:

(32) He stuffed my head full of strange ideas.

Following Reddy (1993), the verbs stuff, cram and shove lexicalize an aspect of the conduit metaphor, which explains the conceptualization of communication as the transfer of thoughts bodily from one person to another.

MOVEMENT AND SPEECH

The verbs raise, drop, pass, spin and weave show the extension of MOVEMENT to SPEECH. Ideas can be communicated like objects being moved: raise (a subject, an objection), drop7 (a hint, remark), pass (a sentence, remark):

(33) You shouldn't drop hints about promotion to your boss.

Words can also be metaphorically seen as strands of thread that the speaker puts together to produce a coherent message:

(34) The old sea captain sat by the fire spinning yawns.

MOVEMENT AND ACTION

The connection of MOVEMENT with ACTION is established though the metaphorization of activities as places. Activities can be described as if they were linear motion. It is then possible to move into (rush) or away from an activity (leave, quit, abandon):

(35) They abandoned the game because of the rain.

On the other hand, causing an activity is causing movement forward:

(36) She pushed me into taking the job.

Conclusion

The semantic analysis of the field of MOVEMENT has shown that words are embedded in a set of rich semantic relations. The focalization of a meaning component and the genus of the lexeme account for the extension of a few MOVEMENT verbs to other subdomains within the domain (intrafield extensions). On the other hand, the metaphorical processes encoded in the semantic domain of MOVEMENT account for the projection of many verbs onto other semantic fields (interfield extensions), thus giving proof of the linguistic significance of metaphor.a

NOTES

1 This assumption is found in some semantic theories (i.e. prototype semantics).

2 By working upwards from the definitional structure of primary lexemes, Faber and Mairal (1997) have identified eleven semantic domains corresponding to basic conceptual categories: EXISTENCE, MOVEMENT, POSITION, CHANGE, PERCEPTION, FEELING, COGNITION, POSSESSION, SPEECH, SOUND, and GENERAL ACTION.

3 The concept of subdomain is based on Geckelerґs (1971) concept of lexical dimension.

4 See appendix for the configuration of the paradigmatic axis of the semantic domain of MOVEMENT.

5 Lakoff and Johnson's Experiential Hypothesis (1980: 267-268) postulates that most abstract concepts arise from our preconceptual bodily experiences as infants --like the experience of up and down-- by metaphorical projection.

6 Note the conceptualization of the mind as a place. As Romelhart (1993:89) points out: “We use a spatial world to talk about the mind”.

7 This verb codifies the conduit metaphor (cf. above).

8 The verbs in brackets are an example of the type of verbs falling in each subdomain.

Appendix: Paradigmatic description of the semantic domain of MOVEMENT8

1. MOVEMENT

1.1. General (move)

1.1.1. To move in a particular way

1.1.1.1. To move quickly (race, hurry)

1.1.1.1a. To cause sb/sth to move quickly (race, hurry)

1.1.1.2. To move slowly (slow, trundle)

1.1.1.2a. To cause sth to move slowly (slow, trundle)

1.1.1.3. To move smoothly (glide, slide)

1.1.1.4. To move forwards quickly/suddenly (jump, leap)

1.1.1.5. To move in a circular manner (curl, circle)

1.1.1.5a. To cause sth to move in a circular manner (turn, spin)

1.1.1.6. To move from side to side/back and forth/up and down repeatedly (swing, rock)

1.1.1.6a. To cause sb/sth to move from side to side/back and forth/up and down repeatedly (swing, rock)

1.1.2. To move off/away from a place/thing/person (leave, go)

1.1.3. To move towards a place/person (advance, go)

1.1.4. To move backwards (back, reverse)

1.1.4a. To cause sth to move backwards (back, reverse)

1.1.5. To move upwards (rise, climb)

1.1.5a. To cause sb/sth to move upwards (lift, raise)

1.1.6. To move downwards (fall, descend)

1.1.6a. To cause sth to move downwards (lower, drop)

1.1.7. To move upside down (turn over, overturn)

1.1.7a. To cause sb/sth to move upside down (turn over, overturn)

1.1.8. To move across/over/through (pass, cross)

1.1.9. To move in a different direction (change, turn)

1.1.10. To move in relation to sb/sth

1.1.10.1. To move together (accompany)

1.1.10.1a. To cause sb/sth to go with you (take, bring)

1.1.10.1.1. To move with sb, going before/after (lead, follow)

1.1.10.2. To move round in order to be on all sides of (gather round, surround)

1.1.10.3. To move out in all directions (spread)

1.1.10.3a. To cause sth to move out in all directions (spread)

1.1.10.4. To move into a place (enter)

1.1.10.4a. To cause sb/sth to move into a place/sth (pierce, push)

1.1.10.4.1. To move into a building by force (break in)

1.1.10.5. To move out of a place (emerge)

1.1.10.6. To move to a different place/position (shift, relocate)

1.1.10.6a. To cause sb/sth to move to a different place/position (shift, relocate)

1.1.10.6.1. To move sb/sth to a different place/position by holding and drawing them along, esp. with force (pull)

1.1.10.6.2. To move sb/sth to a different place/position by holding/walking behind them and exerting force on them, esp. with one's hands (push)

1.1.11. To not move any more (stop)

1.1.11a. To cause sb/sth to not move any more (stop)

1.2. Liquid

1.2.1. To move as liquid in a particular way (flow)

1.2.1.1. To move slowly in small quantities (drip)

1.2.1.2. To move quickly in large quantities (pour)

1.2.1.3. To move out through an opening (squirt)

1.2.1.3a. To cause a liquid to move out through an opening (squirt)

1.2.2. To move in/downwards below the surface of a liquid (sink)

1.2.2.a. To cause sb/sth to move in/downwards below the surface of a liquid (sink)

1.2.3. To move over liquid (sail)

1.3. Atmosphere

1.3.1. To move through the air (fly)

1.3.2. To move upwards (rise)

1.3.3. To move downwards (descend)

1.4. Land

1.4.1. To move in a particular way (skulk, creep)

1.4.1.1. To move using one's feet (walk)

1.4.1.1.1. To move quickly using one's feet (run)

1.4.1.1.2. To move up and down using one's feet (jump)

1.4.2. To move downwards to the ground (fall)

1.4.3. To move one's body (writhe, squirm)

1.4.3.1. To move one's body by raising it (stand up)

1.4.3.2. To move one's body by lowering it (sit)

1.4.3.3. To move a part of one's body (raise, bend, lick)

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