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METAPHOR AS A TYPE OF FIGURATIVE MEANING
Muminov Sidikjon Mirsobirovich,
Professor, Doctor of Philology,
Fergana State University,
Fergana, Uzbekistan
Mahfuza Nishonboyeva,
Master's student, Fergana State University,
Fergana, Uzbekistan
ANNOTATION:
The article draws on a comparative analysis of the metaphorical phenomenon,
which occurs due to the mutual similarity between things or events. It focuses on comparision
and contrasting usage of metaphors in Uzbek and English.
Keywords:
language, speech, thing, object, similarity, metaphor, affectivity.
Metaphor (from the Greek metaphor – transfer) is the transfer of meaning from one object to
another object or event based on the characteristics of another object or event, whether related to
it or not.
Metaphor is one of the most frequently used types of transfer in everyday life. When informing
the interlocutor about various events or exchanging ideas, it is precisely metaphor that is used to
make sentences effective, figurative and colorful. This type of transfer plays an important role not
only in oral speech, but also in fiction. Writers and poets use metaphors in writing artistic texts to
describe various objects, things and events, and characters in unusual ways, or to show them in a
concretized, individualized, or figurative way. According to sources, metaphor was used mainly
in the field of rhetoric in antiquity. This is because it plays the role of expressiveness and
creativity in speech.
The first use of metaphor as a type of transfer dates back to ancient Greek times. The word
"metapho" itself is translated from ancient Greek as "figurative meaning". Aristotle did not
distinguish the metaphors he used in his works from other types of transfer: personification,
synecdoche, simple comparison or hyperbole and assimilation. And he called them general
metaphors. Because, in his opinion, in all types of transfer, he considered that the meaning of one
object is transferred to another. They were later divided into different sections according to their
function and purpose of use.
The famous Bashkir literary critic of the 20th century K.A. Akhmedyanov, in his famous work
"Theory of Literature", when comparing images, writes: "... such a comparison is called a
metaphor based on the hidden similarity of two objects." For example, in metaphors such as the
ear of a pot and the mouth of a tandoor, the similarity of the shape of the ear and the mouth, and
the transfer of meaning according to the location, are examples of this theory. Metaphors can
perform different functions in different contexts. For example, in poetic texts, metaphors perform
an aesthetic function. Through metaphor, the text is created beautiful, artistic, and figurative.
The widest prairies have electric fences,
For though old cattle know they must not stray
Young steers are always scenting purer water
Not here but anywhere. Beyond the wires
Katta dashtlarda ham elektr to‘siqlar bor,
Qari mollar yo‘lda adashmasligin bilsa ham
Yosh mollar doim toza suvni hidlar
Har yerda, xatto simdan tashqari bo‘lsa ham
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Leads them to blunder up against the wires
Whose muscle-shredding violence gives no quarter.
Young steers become old cattle from that day,
Electric limits to their widest senses.
Mushaklari kuchlilar zo‘ravonlik qilib
Simlarga qarshi qo‘pollik qilar
Shundan keyin elektr cheklov
Ularni buzoqdan molga aylantirib qo‘yar
The poem above by Philip Larkin is an example of an extended metaphor, a clear example of the
fact that the content of an entire poem is created on the basis of metaphor. That is, the Great Plain
- life, electronic barriers - the laws and regulations of life, old cattle - old, experienced people,
young cattle, calf - young and inexperienced. The images in the poem are built on the basis of the
farm and animals, but the meaning belongs to all of humanity. That is, in a vast plain surrounded
by electronic barriers (in this world protected by law), old cattle (experienced people) never
violate the border. But the young and inexperienced do not know their life borders. This shows
that young people should follow the example of experienced people.
In scientific texts, metaphors have a cognitive meaning. This helps to describe and understand a
new object of study through knowledge about known, already described objects.
For example, the entry of a virus into a human cell is a very subtle process, like a spider eating a
bird that has fallen into its web. This sentence is used as a metaphor to express the complexity and
caution of the process of the virus entering the cell.
This scientific discovery serves as a key to unlocking new knowledge and opens the doors of
science. In this example, the words “key” and “door” are metaphors. They describe the discovery
of new knowledge and scientific achievements as a force that opens the way to innovations.
In everyday life, metaphors are used to be more colorful and effective, sometimes to exaggerate
our thoughts. For example, a person’s sentence “I am hungry as a dead man” or “My stomach is
blaring” can be seen as an exaggeration of his extreme hunger. The sentences “Your face is
shining” or “Happiness is blowing from your face” can be used to express “Are you happy?” or a
person's heart is kind and warm.
When two objects or events are compared, the signs or qualities of one are transferred to the other.
For example, in the famous English expressions, Anvar, you are a lion. (Anvar shersan, sher). In
such combinations as You are my angel (farishtamsiz), it can be seen that the speaker's speech is
richer and more impressive for the listener. In Uzbek families, metaphors such as "My pony, my
lion, my ram" are used to pamper their children. In the example given below, it is emphasized that
"It rained last night in buckets" is poured in buckets instead of saying "It rained a lot".
Metaphor is often used in literary works. For example, in most fairy tales, metaphors such as "the
lion is a hero" and "the light of my life" are used. The basis of these metaphors is the same
comparison: humans are better than animals The characteristic courage or function of an
inanimate object is used for an entire person, and these qualitative metaphors serve to make the
text colorful, impressive, and clear.
Metaphor is a technique that creates a basis for making any text more emotional and richer. By
implicitly comparing one object or phenomenon with another based on similarity, the meaning
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can be understood from the context. For example, the moon is also called "heavenly cheese" in the
local language, because the cheese is yellow and round, covered with crater-like holes. In such
sentences, metaphors help to transfer the properties of one object or action to another,
strengthening this expression and making it brighter. Like all types of transfer, metaphors have
their own specific functions. Without this metaphor, the idea being conveyed would be ineffective,
colorless, or simple. According to Aristotle, metaphors are "those that make style noble and
majestic." He notes that for a writer, “it is especially important to be skilled in metaphors, because
this cannot be learned from others, and this ability is a sign of talent.”
Aristotle says – “From ordinary words we can only understand a new meaning. Metaphor is
important for conveying it to the listener in a fully effective way or understanding it.”
Metaphor, according to Aristotle:
1) can enliven our speech;
2) gives visibility and clarity to things and phenomena;
3) controls emotions by transferring the emotional content of one expression to another;
4) expresses things that do not have a proper name.
It is clear from this that metaphor has the property of coloring our speech, creating something new,
sometimes reviving.
The use of a word that refers to a thing, event, action, or sign for other concepts that are similar or
completely contradictory, that is, similarity in a broad sense, is considered a metaphor. In this case,
the basis can be concrete or abstract.
According to the structure, metaphors are divided into simple and extended types, and according
to the method of use, into artistic and linguistic metaphors. In linguistics, we find those that do not
have expressive properties in terms, and metaphors that have expressiveness and impact in literary
texts.
Much attention has been paid to the in-depth study of metaphor since past centuries. Linguistic
scientists working in this field refer to the views of Aristotle in giving many definitions of the
type of metaphorical transfer. However, there are still different views and confusion in this area.
The reason is that although the views on the essence of metaphor are the same, the opinions on the
place of simile in metaphor and its independent manifestations differ.
Metaphor is a shortened simile. (A. Potebnya). That is, when auxiliary elements such as simile, as
is characteristic of simile, are omitted, a metaphor arises. Anora was beautiful and elegant like a
flower (simile) ¬¬ // She was beautiful and elegant (metaphor).
So, there are two views on metaphor and simile:
1. Metaphor is a shortened simile, that is, the difference between them is only in their external
formation, in word construction.
2. Metaphor and simile differ in their substantive (internal) formation.
Sh. Rahmatullaev was able to prove with examples that metaphorical transfer can be used
syncretically with other types of transfer: metaphorical-functionality, metaphorical-metonymy,
metaphorical-synecdoche, etc. In the metaphorical combination of an airplane wing, it resembles a
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bird wing not only in function, but also in form. Therefore, such cases can be called functional-
metaphorical transfer.
Over the past period, as attention began to develop in Uzbek linguistics towards component-semic
analysis, attempts to apply these analytical methods to the study of the nature of metaphor began
to emerge. One of the representatives of this direction, Z. Tohirov, evaluates metaphor as a
pragmatic seme of the lexeme seme. He also sees the difference between metaphor and simile (in
style) only in form.
A metaphorical relationship is a description of an event or phenomenon in a certain context based
on the commonality between two objects and phenomena, and their common features are
transferred to each other.
For example, from the work of the famous English writer William Shakespeare, “All the world’s a
stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And
one man in his time plays many parts.” “The whole world is a theater. Every man and woman
plays their part in it. Everyone has their own entrance and exit. And one person can play many
roles in it.” The sentence is also a clear example of a metaphor.
The metaphor used in this speech is used as an expression of imagery and extremely strong
emotion, creating a vivid imagination in the listener's mind.
The names of wild birds and domestic fowl, which are very often used in our daily activities, also
have a metaphorical nature. Sometimes negative actions and feelings characteristic of birds serve
to express a metaphorical meaning. As a result, the expressive-emotional nature of the meaning of
the word increases and the artistic expressiveness increases.
For example: - Get out. - Kayum glanced at the camera and returned to his tracks. - You are lying
on the floor. I gave you a blanket, I... Oh, dry up! Suck it up! You are a good guy!... Hey! If your
companion is a crow, you will eat garbage...
The word crow used in this text has a negative connotation, indicating that the companion is bad.
So, in this place, the negativity of the hero's attitude towards the listener is revealed through this
metaphor. At the same time, there is a hint that the speaker is sorry for this situation, that his
companion is bringing evil to himself.
In the study of metaphor, the main meaning is given to the main lexical meaning of the word. But
here too, there are some problems, because in this case we are talking about a noun as a metaphor
for the position of the subject, its use, and its connection with the general case of another noun.
However, the characteristic function of a metaphor requires that it be expressed in the form of a
subject. “The thesis that a metaphor is related to the position of the predicate does not mean that
every figurative predicate is a metaphor. The metaphor in the preposition is subject to limitations
due to morphological and lexical-semantic factors. The issue of the syntactic design of the
metaphor has also not been resolved, its complexity is compounded by the possibility of
combining several tropes in the same language unit. Thus, the metaphor can be hyperbolic,
metonymic, and there are also metaphorical comparisons, metaphorical periphrases. It should be
noted that the metaphor exists in the language as a real semantic and syntactic unit. Therefore,
below we can dwell on the signs of metaphor:
Metaphor is a statement about the properties of an object based on its similarity with the object
indicated in the reinterpreted meaning of the word. Here, hypothetical speculation and the
subjective principle prevail over the point of view of reality. That is why metaphor is so widely
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used in the cognitive-evaluative activity of consciousness. The technique of metaphor is the main
method of indirect nomination. This regularity requires the renewal of properties that are
significant in relation to the meaning and detonation of the reference name when forming indirect
names in a reinterpreted meaning. This creates conditions for new properties that are not relevant
to them, and due to this, the properties of the object are combined with the properties of the
previously indicated and newly assigned "side" of the reference name, which are already indicated,
for the sharp development of a new meaning.
Language metaphor is based on objective associative connections, which are reflected in
connotative properties that provide information about the everyday and practical experience of a
particular language group or its cultural and historical knowledge. For example: “sea” is an
immeasurable expanse of water, therefore an immeasurable quantity can be called a sea. The
reason for metaphorical transfer is the logical and syntactic schemes of structuring phenomena
developed in the language or the structure of the world of real objects - their thematic logical
connections - reflecting the linguistic experience of speakers.
The main difference between a linguistic metaphor and a speech metaphor is that the former are
mainly created on the basis of the meanings that accompany the word in its usual use. In addition,
they are given to the semantic potential of a particular word through the use of language, which
constitutes linguistic experience. This experience remains outside the framework of the system of
lexical meanings formed by its identity and differences and regular rules of correspondence. A
linguistic metaphor is very easily erased and loses its vivid image as “ordinary” and is easily
remembered by speakers due to motivation. It fits into the framework of syntactic structures in a
limited way due to the reinterpretation of the properties of formal subjects or objects, acquires
new semantic and syntactic properties. The role of the subjective factor (for linguistic metaphors)
is opposed to objectivity, reconsidering the linguistic meaning and reference of nouns, the
semantic rules governing the combination of words, the norms of partial use, their security
function. The linguistic nature of the metaphor is manifested in establishing the representativeness
of the reinterpreted meaning of a language form in the discourse chain.
In conclusion, the most widely used type of metaphor in our daily life and the one that stands out
from other types of metaphors in its dominance is metaphor. This is because metaphor serves to
make the conversation process interesting and effective or to make the expressed idea figurative
and colorful. Metaphor can create some comfort for the speaker and listener by performing
various functions in different situations. That is, if there were no metaphors, new words would be
produced at a rate that human memory would not be able to keep up with. If metaphors in fiction
fulfill an aesthetic function, then metaphors in scientific texts have a cognitive meaning.
Information was provided that in oral speech they fulfill not only a communicative function, but
also a word game in folklore. It is clear from this that metaphor is considered an object of
linguistics, and it has been studied not only in literary texts, but also in scientific, official, and
journalistic texts.
List of used literature
1.
Axmedyanov K.A. Teoriya adabiyoti. – Ufa, 1985 yil. 126-bet
2.
https://poemanalysis.com/best-poems
3.
https://optolov.ru/uz/the-ceiling-in-the-bathroom/metafora-ee-raznovidnosti-i-
izobrazitelno-vyrazitelnye-sredstva.html
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4.
https://optolov.ru/uz/the-ceiling-in-the-bathroom/metafora-ee-raznovidnosti-i-
izobrazitelno-vyrazitelnye-sredstva.html
5.
[ Вежбицкая. А. Сравнение-градатция-метафора // Теория метафоры.- Москва,1990.-
С. 145.]
6.
Турсунов У., Муҳторов Ж., Раҳматуллаев Ш. Ҳозирги ўзбек адабий тили. Т.:
Ўзбекистон, 1992. – 399 б.
7.
Тоҳиров З. Метафора лексема-семемасининг прагматик семаси. // Ўзбек тили ва
адабиѐти. – 1983. - № 1. – Б. 74-77;
8.
Тоҳиров З. Метафора семемаси прагматик семаси // Ўзбек тили ва адабиѐти. – 1984.
№ 4. – Б. 63-67.
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(Sh.Xolmirzayev."Og`ir tosh ko`chsa", 134-bet).
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Арутюнова Н.Д. Типы языковых значений: Оценка. Событие. Факт. –М.: 1988. –С.
122.
11.
Melikuziev,
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L.
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Кубрякова Е.С. Части речи в ономасиологическом освещении. –М.: Наука, 1978. – С.
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Арутюнова Н.Д. Типы языковых значений: Оценка. Событие. Факт. –М.: Наука,
1988. – С. 89.
14.
Jose Ortega-y-Gasset. Las dos grandes metaforas. – Еn: Ortega-y-Gasset J. Pbras
Completas. Tomo 2., Madrid, 1966. –Р. 387-400
