Metaphors In Guy Deutscher's The Unfolding Of Language

Metaphor – A Solid Argument

Even in the most commonplace discourse, it is hardly possible to venture a few steps without treading on dozens of metaphors. – Guy Deutscher

In chapter 4 of his book The Unfolding of Language, Guy Deutscher posits that the bulk of the words in human languages are metaphors.1 He proposes that the earliest human words described simple, solid concepts – particularly, parts of the body.1 From the location of body parts came descriptions of space: to be at the head of an army means to be in front of it; to be in the heart of something is to be located at its center.1

With spatial concepts squared away, Deutscher says, humans were free to extend the meanings of our words to include concepts of time.1 Prepositions used to describe space – “at the door”, “within the prison” – became markers of time: “at noon”, “within a year”.1

Finally, says Deutscher, these temporal terms acquired even more abstract meanings, and could be used to describe such things as causes and reasons.1 Therefore a meeting can be held at the town square, at one o’clock, at the request of the mayor – or in the treehouse, in an hour, in secret.

Along with “ideas are food”, he mentions the common “more is up, less is down” image, which originally came from such observations as rising water levels, but was transferred to describe such intangibles as productivity and self-esteem.1 Another example of a framework for transfer is found in descriptions of social approval. Popularity is often measured in terms of temperature – the more extreme the temperature, the more desired is the trait. While less concrete descriptors such as “rad”, “groovy”, and “tubular” fall by the wayside, “cool” is still a compliment, and it is desirable for one’s physique or ideas to be considered “hot”. It is not hard to imagine the term “icy” catching on, since it fits into the “familiar frame” of