In terminology that is itself metaphorical, cognitive scientists refer to a metaphor’s “source” of meaning and literary scholars, to its “vehicle.” Often, though not always, the source or vehicle involves a more concrete, better-known concept such as grasping. Today in Greece, moving trucks such as the one depicted here may say “metaphoriki” on the sides. “Metaphor” derives from the Greek words, “meta” (across) and “phero” (to carry or transfer), together denoting the transfer or “carrying across” of meaning from one concept to another (Concise Oxford Dictionary 636 Geary 9). One such metaphor is the common call to “let it go.” As Geary points out, many metaphors do their work without being recognized as metaphors, and not everyone told to “let it go” may think consciously that forgiving an offense is being compared to releasing an object grasped in the hands.
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