Deane, Paul D.. 1993. On metaphorical inversion. Journal Article. pp. 111-126
Abstract
Examples of metaphorical inversion, parts of conceptual metaphors that employ the same metaphorical mapping but with reversed topic-vehicle orientation (e.g., 'People are computers' vs. 'Computers are people') are examined. Metaphorical inversion is an unusual phenomenon because the usual effect of reversing a metaphor is a complete shift in the metaphor's conceptual ground. Analysis suggests an underlying asymmetry despite the common ground. One of the metaphors in the pair functions as an ordinary personification or anthropomorphism, not taken seriously or extended beyond its areas of obvious applicability to the topic. The other metaphor, by contrast, often carries moral or philosophical overtones and is actively extended in a way that undermines the entrenched attributes of its topic. (Copyright 1994, Sociological Abstracts, Inc., all rights reserved.)(LLBA 1994, vol. 28, n. 1)