Expressivity and Metaphor

Abstract This chapter provides an overview of recent research on the relation between expressivity and metaphor. The relevance of metaphor for conceptualization of more abstract cognitive domains (time, thinking, emotion, etc.) has been recognized for a long time, in particular within the framework of Cognitive Linguistics. However, more recently, the contribution of metaphor (and other types of figurative language) to expressivity has been increasingly acknowledged. In recent research, both analysis of corpora and experimental methods have been used to provide empirical support for this additional function of metaphor use. In particular, deliberate, creative metaphors, rather than conventional metaphors, have been found to be triggered by emotional states on the side of the producer, with a comparable impact on the side of the receiver. Finally, the chapter reflects on the question how the expressive power of metaphor can be explained.