GENERAL CHARACTERISTIC OF METAPHOR IN ENGLISH LINGUISTICS: PROBLEMS, THEORETICAL APPROACHES AND PRACTICAL ISSUES

Abstract

This paper provides a comprehensive linguistic analysis of metaphor as a fundamental mechanism in the English language. It examines the evolution of metaphor studies from traditional rhetoric to modern cognitive linguistics, highlighting key theoretical frameworks such as Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) proposed by Lakoff and Johnson (1980). The study identifies major problems in metaphor research within English linguistics, including identification and demarcation of metaphors, cultural specificity, diachronic changes, ambiguity in discourse, and challenges in computational processing. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis of examples from literary texts, everyday discourse, political rhetoric, and scientific English, the paper demonstrates how metaphors shape thought and communication in English. Special attention is given to unresolved issues such as the boundary between metaphor and metonymy, cross-cultural translation difficulties, and the role of metaphors in word formation and semantic change. The research concludes that despite significant advances, several methodological and theoretical problems persist, necessitating interdisciplinary approaches involving cognitive science, corpus linguistics, and artificial intelligence. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of metaphor’s role in English as a global lingua franca and offer practical implications for language teaching, translation studies, and natural language processing.