Language, Cognition and Figurativity
| Title | Γλώσσα, Νόηση και Μη Κυριολεξία / Language, Cognition and Figurativity |
| Code | ΣΠΓ822 |
| Faculty | Philosophy |
| School | Philology |
| Cycle / Level | 2nd / Postgraduate |
| Teaching Period | Winter/Spring |
| Common | Yes |
| Status | Active |
| Course ID | 600024822 |
Programme of Study: P.M.S. THEŌRĪTIKĪS, ISTORIKĪS KAI SYGKRITIKĪS GLŌSSOLOGIAS
Registered students: 0
| Orientation | Attendance Type | Semester | Year | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SYGCΗRONES PROSEGGISEIS TĪS GLŌSSAS | Elective Courses belonging to the selected specialization | Winter/Spring | - | 10 |
| ISTORIKĪ GLŌSSOLOGIA KAI GLŌSSIKĪ EPAFĪ | Mandatory Elective Courses | Winter/Spring | - | 10 |
| Academic Year | 2025 – 2026 |
| Class Period | Winter |
| Faculty Instructors |
|
| Weekly Hours | 3 |
| Total Hours | 39 |
| Class ID | 600257036
|
Course Type 2021
Specialization / Direction
Mode of Delivery
- Face to face
Digital Course Content
- e-Study Guide https://qa.auth.gr/en/class/1/600257036
- At the Website of the School:
- eLearning:
Erasmus
The course is also offered to exchange programme students.
Language of Instruction
- Greek (Instruction, Examination)
- English (Examination)
Learning Outcomes
a) To demonstrate in-depth knowledge of Conceptual Metaphor (and Metonymy) Theory, including aspects of the theory that have been subject to criticism or debate.
b) To apply methods for identifying metaphor and metonymy in language, taking into account the specificities of the Greek language.
c) To construct conceptual metaphorical mappings, both at a general and a specific level, based on linguistic data.
d) To design a research project grounded in the acquired knowledge and the appropriate methodological framework.
General Competences
- Apply knowledge in practice
- Retrieve, analyse and synthesise data and information, with the use of necessary technologies
- Make decisions
- Work autonomously
- Work in teams
- Be critical and self-critical
- Advance free, creative and causative thinking
Course Content (Syllabus)
The course introduces students to contemporary debates that challenge the traditional view of so-called "figures of speech" as merely decorative elements of language, arguing instead for their fundamentally conceptual nature. Specifically, it examines the core tenets of Conceptual Metaphor (and Metonymy) Theory (Lakoff & Johnson 1980, 1999; Kövecses & Radden 1998), addresses methodological issues, and discusses critiques of the theory, as well as perspectives that reintroduce language into the discussion by highlighting the interaction between language and cognition.
Keywords
conceptual metaphor, conceptual metonymy, Metaphor/Metonymy Identification Procedure, interaction of language and cognition
Educational Material Types
- Notes
- Slide presentations
- Interactive excersises
- Book
Use of Information and Communication Technologies
Use of ICT
- Use of ICT in Course Teaching
- Use of ICT in Communication with Students
Course Organization
| Activities | Workload | ECTS | Individual | Teamwork | Erasmus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 40 | ||||
| Reading Assigment | 80 | ||||
| Project | 80 | ||||
| Written assigments | 50 | ||||
| Total | 250 |
Student Assessment
Description
Exercises (10%), presentation and written summary of an article or book chapter (20%), research proposal (70%).
Student Assessment methods
- Written Assignment (Summative)
- Exercises, presentations (Formative)
Bibliography
Additional bibliography for study
Dancygier, B., & Sweetser, E. 2014. Figurative language. Cambridge University Press.
Fauconnier, G., & Turner, M. 2002. The way we think: Conceptual blending and the mind’s hidden complexities. New York: Basic Books.
Forceville, C.J., & Urios-Aparisi, E. Eds., 2009. Multimodal metaphor. Berlin & New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
Gibbs, R. 2008. The Cambridge Handbook of Metaphor and Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Gibbs, R.W., & Colston, H. 2012. Interpreting figurative meaning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Johnson, M. 1987. The body in the mind. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Kövecses, Z. 2010. Metaphor: A Practical Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Kövecses, Z. 2015). Where metaphors come from. Reconsidering context in metaphor. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Kövecses, Z. (2017). Levels of metaphor. Cognitive Linguistics, 28(2), 321–347.
Lakoff, G. 1993. The contemporary theory of metaphor. In A. Ortony (Ed.), Metaphor and thought (2nd ed., pp. 202–251). Cambridge University Press
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. 1980. Metaphors we live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Lakoff, G. & Johnson, M. 1999. Philosophy in the Flesh: The Embodied Mind and Its Challenge to Western Thought. New York: Basic Books.
Littlemore, J. 2015. Metonymy: Hidden shortcuts in language, thought and communication. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Panther, K.-U., & Radden, G., Eds., 1999. Metonymy in language and thought. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Pragglejaz Group. 2007. MIP: A method for identifying metaphorically used words in discourse. Metaphor and Symbol, 22(1), 1–39.
Semino, E. (2008). Metaphor in discourse. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press.
Semino, E., & Demjen, S. 2017. The Routledge handbook of metaphor and language. London & New York: Routledge
Steen, G.J., Dorst, A.G., Herrmann, J.B., Kaal, A., Krennmayr, T., & Pasma, T. 2010. A method for linguistic metaphor identification. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Sullivan, K. 2013. Frames and constructions in metaphoric language. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins
Last Update
06-06-2025
