Funkcija in pomen metafor v medicini z vidika kognitivnega jezikoslovja / The function and meaning of metaphors in medicine from the perspective of cognitive linguistics
ANALI PAZU HD, let./Vol. 6, 1-2/2020, strani/pages 37-62
Celotno besedilo / Full text (PDF)
Povzetek:
Kognitivistični pristop k teoriji metafore izhaja iz spoznanja, da je metafora del človekovega konceptualnega sistema in šele drugotno tudi jezika, saj se v njem zrcalijo mentalni procesi. Metafora je torej prvina spoznavanja in zato nepogrešljiva v znanosti in njenem izrazju, tudi v medicini. Ena izmed najopaznejših značilnosti medicinskega diskurza je terminologija, ki ima poimenovalno (nominativno) in spoznavno (kognitivno) funkcijo. Tako kot drugi jezikovni izrazi se tudi strokovni izrazi oblikujejo v procesu konceptualizacije, tj. na podlagi konceptualnih metafor, ki se v procesu simbolizacije jezikovno realizirajo. Na podlagi analize izbranih zgledov iz medicinskih besedil postuliramo, da je metafora univerzalno prisotna tudi v medicinskem diskurzu. Metaforični medicinski termini imajo posebne konceptualne pomene tako za strokovnjake kot tudi za laike, ko postanejo del splošnega terminološkega inventarja, ki je tesno povezan z življenjem posameznika in skupnosti. Medicinski pojmi se konceptualizirajo na podlagi različnih izhodiščnih domen. V vsakdanji jezikovni rabi in v medicinskem diskurzu so najpogostejše konceptualne metafore MEDICINA JE BOJ, ČLOVEK JE STROJ in MEDICINA JE EKONOMIJA. To potrjujejo tudi zgledi iz znanstvenih, strokovnih in poljudnoznanstvenih člankov s področja medicine: del zgledov predstavljajo leksikalizirane metafore, ki so postale del poljudnoznanstvenega jezika (npr. strategija), del zgledov pripada znanstvenemu diskurzu (npr. kohorta), del njih pa se uporablja tudi v splošnem jeziku, ko govorimo o zdravju (npr. napad). Obravnavane metafore kažejo, da v medicinskem diskurzu prevladuje dehumanizirano militaristično, mehanicistično in tehnološko pojmovanje medicine. Zavest, da metafore tvorijo naš konceptualni sistem in hkrati predstavljajo način, kako ta sistem oblikujemo, odpira možnost, da se takim metaforam izognemo z alternativnimi metaforami, ki bi pojem zdravja in bolezni konceptualizirale z bolj humanega vidika.
Ključne besede: Kognitivna teorija metafore, konceptualna metafora, metaforični izraz, medicinski diskurz.
Abstract:
The cognitivist approach to the theory of metaphor is based on the premise that metaphor is part of the human conceptual system and only secondarily a part of the human language (since language is a reflection of mental processes). Metaphor is therefore an epistemological tool and as such indispensable in science (and its terminology), including medicine. One of the most notable characteristics of the medical discourse is terminology, which has a naming (nominative) as well as a cognitive function. Just like other linguistic expressions terminological expressions are the result of the process of conceptualization and are often based on conceptual metaphors, which undergo a process of verbal symbolization. Based on our analysis of selected examples from medical texts, we postulate a universal presence of metaphors in medical discourse. Metaphorical medical terms have specific conceptual meanings for experts as well as for laymen, when they become part of the general terminological inventory that is closely linked to the life of a community and its members. Medical terms are conceptualized based on different source domains. We assumed that in everday language use and in medical discourse the most common conceptual metaphors are MEDICINE IS COMBAT, MAN IS MACHINE and MEDICINE IS ECONOMY. This assumption is supported by examples from scientific, trade and popular scientific articles: one group of examples consists of lexicalized metaphors that became part of popular scientific language (e.g. strategy), a second group are examples that belong to the scientific discourse (e.g. cohorte) and the third group are examples that are part of everyday language (e.g. attack - in connection with health). The analyzed metaphors show that the medical discourse is dominated by a dehumanized, mechanistic and technological view of medicine.The awareness that metaphors are building blocks of our conceptual system and that they also represent the way, in which we form this system, opens up the possibility to either avoid them or replace them with alternative metaphors that conceptualize health from a more humane perspective.
Key words: Cognitive metaphor theory, conceptual metaphor, metaforical expression, medical discourse.