Inferential memory and linguistic creativity

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Metaphor seems, in many ways, the linguistic reflection of the fundamentally analogical nature of human memory and understanding. It follows that the processes involved in the comprehension of metaphor are not fundamentally different from those used in the comprehension of language that would normally be deemed literal. In this article, I examine those processes in the context of the task of correctly interpreting vague utterances and argue that the fundamental component of our ability to understand novel expressions is explanatory inference.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)175-193
JournalMetaphor and Symbolic Activity
Volume5
DOIs
StatePublished - 1990

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Inferential memory and linguistic creativity'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this