Metaphors in Everyday English

The present paper shows the development of the concept of metaphor sinceAristotle’s first definition until the interpretations provided by cognitive linguists in the second half of the 20th century. In the ancient philosophies metaphor was considered an ornamental device, appropriate for poetry only. This classical view radically changed in the twentieth century and since then numerous conceptualizations have been proposed to reinvent the notion of metaphor. Recent studies in cognitive science by Zoltán Kövecses and George Lakoff have shown that metaphors are a fundamental part of human cognition. Their dynamic structure helps us to better understand abstract scientific concepts, trigger emotions, and enrich our everyday language. This work provides an overview of the process of metaphor comprehension through various theories. Furthermore, by applying the method of comparison, I analyse some conventional English metaphors and their Hungarian counterparts in support of the idea that metaphor is omnipresent in our everyday language; however, their mapping can be influenced by cultural factors.