The Movement by Legs as Source Domain of Metaphors in Scientific Texts (The Image Schema path in Czech)
Abstract
The article is based on the American cognitive approach to the language, especially on Johnoson's and Lakoff's works, but also on the theories of so-called anthropological linguistics. The article emphasizes the language research which corresponds to the principles of experientialism and anthropocentrism.
Our everyday physical experience of the world is the basis of abstract mental patterns in our minds which are called image schemas. Image schemas constitute source domain of conceptual metaphor.
Our research of language is focused on expressions and collocations containing in its semantics human experience of the body parts that are in Czech called nohy (legs) and also experience of the locomotion. The path schema emerges from this natural human experience and it is source domain of many different metaphors.
Aspects of various abstract things are conceptualized as corresponding aspects of the movement by the legs along a path. In scientific texts the process of scientific research is conceptualised as the movement along a path.
In the texts the metaphor research is movement by legs along a path can be found out. Many expressions concern also the modified metaphor communication about research is movement by legs along a path.
The article also shows the possible connection between this metaphor and terms used in the theory of the neurolinguistic programming.