Ideational semiosis: a tri-stratal perspective on grammatical metaphor

Martin, J R

doi:10.1590/1678-460X2020360304

ABSTRACT

This paper addresses the challenge of analysing texts for ideational grammatical metaphor. It undertakes this task from the perspective of recent work on field (Doran & Martin in pressDORAN, Y. J. & MARTIN, J. R. (in press.). Field relations: understanding scientific explanations. In: Maton, K.; Martin, J. R. & Doran, Y. J. (Eds.).Teaching Science: Knowledge, Language, Pedagogy. London: Routledge . ) and discourse semantics (Hao 2020aHAO, J. 2020a. Analysing Scientific Discourse From a Systemic Functional Linguistic Perspective: A Framework for Exploring Knowledge-building in Biology. London: Routledge .). In doing so it highlights the benefits of adopting a tri-stratal perspective on experiential and logical grammatical metaphor (Hao 2020bHAO, J. 2020b. ‘Nominalisations in scientific English: a tristratal perspective.’ Functions of Language 27.3. (in press).) - bringing all three of the most relevant strata (i.e. field, discourse semantics and lexicogrammar) into the picture.

Keywords:
grammatical metaphor; ideational semantics; field; knowledge building

Field reconstruals	Example
itemized property	*permeability (of blood vessels); diameter (of something round)*
activated property	*(the cut) becomes more painful; (blood vessels) enlarge*
itemized activity	*inflammation; phagocytosis; discharge*
activated item	phagosome fuses with a lysosome; microbe is broken down into chemical constituents

Field	Discourse semantics	Lexicogrammar
activity (tiered)	sequence	clause complex
activity (untiered)	figure	clause
item	entity	nominal group
property	quality	Epithet, Manner

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Ideational semiosis: a tri-stratal perspective on grammatical metaphor

Semiose ideacional: uma perspectiva triestratal para a metáfora gramatical

ABSTRACT