Conceptual metaphor types in oncology: Cognitive and communicative functions

Abstract

In this paper, an analysis of conceptual metaphor types and their relation with cognitive and communicative functions is carried out on a sample of oncology research papers. According to Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), four conceptual types are described: imagistic, orientational, ontological and structural. The purpose is to explore the cognitive functions of metaphor –categorization and conceptualization– and their role in knowledge construction. On the other hand, communicative aspects, such as deliberate versus unconscious metaphor usage, as well as the conventional character of metaphorical expressions is observed, with the purpose of characterizing the discourse of medical science research articles in English.