Chapter 1. Proverbs in Extended Conceptual Metaphor Theory

Abstract

In the chapter, I provide an account of metaphorical proverbs within the new framework of extended conceptual metaphor theory, or ECMT, for short (Kövecses 2020). I rely especially on the multilevel and contextualist aspects of this view. I argue that ECMT can account for why many proverbs are widespread in the world’s languages; why, at the same time, many proverbs can also exhibit cultural differences; and why proverbs can have very specific meanings in particular discourse situations. Finally, I show that context plays a very different role in metaphorical proverbs than in non-proverbial uses of metaphor.