Metaphore as a projection of geschtalt: Neurophysiologic and linguistic aspects

Abstract

The paper considers the neural and functional grounding of human skills in the production metaphoric/metonymic extension. Two existing theories underlie the main concept of the paper. The first one focuses on the correspondence of a certain cell assembly in the human cortex to a specific entity or an object; the cell assembly may embed the neurons pertaining to different cortex areas (sensory, motor, or language areas). The second proposition employed is based on the theory of Geschtalt, arising as a consequence of an object/event’s repeated perception. We also consider the model of a higher-order cell assembly formation. According to the model, some lower-order cell assemblies, each of them corresponding to a Geschtalt component, may be united in the framework of a Geschtalt matrix. The process is embodied in cognitive and verbal domains. We argue that the existing denotation, encoded in the preceding cell assembly, is transposed onto a new one represented by the Geschtalt cell assembly, when the phonetic form and semantics of the previous object are retained during this process. The neurophysiological process, which has been detailed in the paper, bears considerably on language evolution. In the case where the phonetic contours and semantics of an existing lexeme are transferred upon a second lexeme, adjacent to the first one within the Geshtalt framework, a whole tree of lexemes pertaining to one cognitive domain is formed. Due to this phenomenon, lexeme diversification occurs, which in turn gives rise to the formation and ramification of language dialects.