Deviance and the literal-metaphorical distinction revisited
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21335637 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Chris Genovesi (0000-0001-8890-8336, Instituto de Investigaciones Filosóficas (IIF), Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico), Jacob Hesse (0000-0003-0080-3420, Ruhr University Bochum, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-25 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-06 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Inquiry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0020-174X • E-ISSN: 1502-3923 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/0020174x.2025.2458537 |
| OpenAlex | W4407191645 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 46 |
Classical deviance theories about metaphor argue that the metaphorical sense of a word or expression, w, deviates from the sense of the word or expression interpreted literally. Developments in lexical pragmatics challenge these theories by claiming that deviance pervades (nearly) all aspects of linguistic communication. If deviance is the norm, then classical explanans offer little to no insight. In fact, many theorists have abandoned the idea of the literal-metaphorical distinction. This move carries significant consequences for theories of language and communication. We argue against this move and in favour of a linguistically robust literal-metaphorical distinction. We have three goals: The first is to argue that the literal-metaphorical distinction is important for theories of language and communication. The second is to assess Allott and Textor’s Non-Conformity View of deviance which gives up the idea that deviance is marked by a departure from conventional word meaning. Pace Allott and Textor, we claim that the literal-metaphorical distinction must ultimately be couched in some account of lexicalised meaning. Our third goal is to develop a form of qualified deviance that avoids what we take to be shortcomings of the Non-Conformity View
Criminology · Deviance (statistics) · Linguistics · Literal (mathematical logic) · Metaphor · Statistics · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition · Mathematics · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology · Swearing, Euphemism, Multilingualism
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| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |