Filologija, No. 14, 1986.
Original scientific paper
A contribution to the problem of metaphor
Milka Ivić
Abstract
Focusing on the antonym pair 'bistar' 'limpid, not muddy, clear'/mutan 'muddy, turbid, unclear' and their metaphorical uses in (the spoken variety of) standard Serbocroatian, the author points to the fact that there are situations in which the figurative adjectival meaning belongs, respectively, to two unrelated conceptual domains. Such a state of affairs contradicts Kittay and Lehrer's claim that antonymic relations are preserved under metaphorical extension. The existence of sentences like 'On je bistar ali mutan' 'He has a quick intelligence but he is a fishy man' presents the most persuasive argument that 'mutan' describing humans is not the antonymous counterpart of 'bistar'.
The question arises as to why 'mutan' did not shift to the mental dimension, like 'bistar', but took on a moral meaning?
According to the author, in seeking to find the answer one should consider both the semantic relation existing between 'mutan' and 'prljav' 'dirty' and the fact that 'mutan' functions as antonym not only to 'bistar' but also to 'jasan' 'clear'. Both circumstances have determined the semantic development of 'mutan'.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
184051
URI
Publication date:
15.12.1986.
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