Actualization of the mode of spatial movement as a means of figurative conceptualization of life within the metaphorical model «life is movement»

Introduction. The paper is devoted to the analysis of the metaphorical potential of one of the components of the conceptual metaphor ‘‘life is movement through space’’, specifically the mode of movement in terms of its role and capacity in the figurative conceptualization of life. Results. The study examines the role and potential of various modes of movement: on solid surfaces, in aquatic and aerial environments, both with and without the use of vehicles. It demonstrates how the lexico-semantic variability of elements from both the source and target domains makes it possible, even within a single aspect of the image – the mode of movement – to conceptualize many facets of life. Conclusion. The research shows that verbs of motion play a key role in the metaphorical representation of the concept of life within the Russian linguistic worldview. The primary role belongs to the most frequent verbs in this function – those denoting walking, especially the verb to go/to walk and its derivatives, which function either as conventionalized (dead) metaphors or are revitalized through elaboration. Also important are verbs denoting other types of movement – such as ‘‘to swim/float’’, ‘‘to fly’’ and their derivatives – which serve as stereotypical or, when supported by context, individual metaphors. The use of the image of movement via transportation is less frequent, yet it significantly broadens the interpretive potential of the metaphor: in most cases, it additionally indicates the life stage of a person, emphasizes the degree of life’s dynamism as subjectively perceived, goal-directedness, autonomous choice or predestination of life’s course, danger or safety, and varying degrees of dependence on external conditions. It also contributes to the revitalization of stereotypical metaphors

Conceptualization · Dynamism · Literal and figurative language · Metaphor · Verb · Categorization, perception, and language · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition · Psycholinguistics and Behavioral Studies