METAPHORICAL MEANING EXTENSION OF THE DENOMINAL INSTRUMENTAL PHRASAL VERBS

Abstract

The paper deals with the study of the cognitive mechanism of the development of metaphorical meanings from prototypical ones. A group of denominal instrumental phrasal verbs with spatial particles is analyzed from the point of view of cognitive approach. An attempt is made to theorize on the correlation between the metaphorical meaning of the instrumental verb and the metaphorical meaning of the noun it is derived from. An adverbial postposition of the phrasal verb determines modifications of the meaning of the denominal verb, as well as identifies a set of possible shifts of the meaning. The provided exemplary material allows the author of the paper to identify and explain the new meanings of a group of instrumental phrasal verbs as a result of metaphorization. The following mechanisms of phrasal verb meaning extension were distinguished: similarity in function (with the instrument named by the noun), similarity in action (performed by the instrument), similarity with the instrument (in shape, form, etc).

Keywords

• denominal instrumental phrasal verbs, meaning extension, metaphor, prototypical meaning, spatial relations, spatial conceptualization