The Hybrid Theory of Metaphor

Abstract

In the preceding chapters various approaches to implicit and figurative language, communication and cognition were presented and critically discussed. In this chapter, I want to gather together the results deriving from these discussions. The outcome of this will be a hybrid theory of metaphor that is significantly influenced by relevance theory and cognitive linguistics, but in which I will also make original contributions which cannot be found in either of the theories. Such a hybrid theory seems to be especially valuable as it has become obvious that metaphor scholars struggle with the deficiencies of each theory, and some begin to understand that both perspectives have something very important to contribute towards a comprehensive, cognitive theory of metaphor.