Glossary of Linguistic Terms

Image Schema

Definition: 

An image schema is a mental pattern that

  • recurrently provides structured understanding of various experiences, and
  • is available for use in metaphor as a source domain to provide an understanding of yet other experiences.
Examples: 

(English)

A compulsion schema is used to provide an understanding of experiences, such as:

  • a jet airplane
  • geological forces moving continental plates, and
  • metaphorically, the experience of peer pressure.
See Also: 
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