'Wear a Horn and Blow it Not' - Metaphors of Power and Authority

Presented at Mapping Metaphor 2014

Transcript

1. ‘Wear a horn and blow it not’:
   Power and Authority Marc Alexander marc.alexander@glasgow.ac.uk
2. Across the different disciplines of social science, studies of power and resistance continue to be dominated by [...] the distinction between persuading and coercing. Power may operate at the level of ideas, persuading the mind of its legitimacy, or it may work as a material force directly coercing the body. Mitchell, Timothy. 1990. Everyday Metaphors of
 Power. Theory and Society 19(5). 545-577. 1 2 3 4
3. Command and Control (S01) 0304 Authority 030401 Power 03040101 Influence 030402 Command 03040201 Bidding 030403 Control 03040301 Person in control 1 2 3 4
4. Power and Authority 1 2 3 4 Seven main metaphor families: Large/strong, Position, Movement, Possession, Farming, Sight, Knowledge, Game Five weaker isolated metaphor groups: Weather, Mathematics, Military equipment, Occupation, Knowledge
5. Main Metaphor Families 1 2 3 4 Large/strong large, strong, mighty, powerful, sturdy, substantial, constitution, weighty, temper (1599–1707), hard, strong, sturdy, mighty, fortify, rigorous, strict, puff up, force (a1400–1876, a great quantity/amount), domine (1474, to be superior in amount/ degree), overest (1481 + 1897, greatest in degree/extent), sovereign (1749–, of the very highest degree), supreme (1760/72–, highest/utmost/ extreme degree)
6. Main Metaphor Families 1 2 3 4 Position up, elevate, secure, higher, upper, sovereign (aj 1388, High in position), supreme laws are laid down, set down, placed, etc
7. Main Metaphor Families 1 2 3 4 Movement over, overcome, heading, usurp (vt a1325–1622 rare + 1890, move people from a place/position/possession), hold, direct, convey, guide, revoke (vt 1590–1644 .move/draw something backwards), ascendant, commanding (aj 1703–1823 .impelling/driving), grip, hold, keep, take hold of, direct, director, misdirection, well-guided, steer, convoy (Sc), steer, push, run, lead (vt OE–1757, bring or take to a place), teach (vt OE–a1500, lead back),lode (n c1200–a1300, guiding/leading/showing the way), convoy (vt 1513– 1632 Scots + 1846 arch., accompany as a guide), conducting (aj 1632–, Guiding/ leading/showing the way), direct (vt 1632–, Direct one's course/steps, etc.), leader (n a1300–1548 also Scots + 1847– dial., Driver/operator of vehicle)
8. Main Metaphor Families 1 2 3 4 Possession grip (n OE + 1450/70–, possession and power/clutches) wield (n OE–1567, possession and control) hold (n c1250–c1590, property held) lord (n a1300–1697, landowner) master (n c1400–1853, Possessor) command (n 1642–, possession and control) monopoly (n 1643– transf. & fig., exclusive possession)
9. Main Metaphor Families 1 2 3 4 Farming shepherd tame stable grip lead rein master steer govern (vt 1572–1669, Cultivate plants/crops)
10. Main Metaphor Families 1 2 3 4 Sight oversee look on advisement (n 1330–1600, looking at/beholding) overseer (n 1551–a1656, beholder/spectator) inspector overlook (n 1861–1884, place where view from a height obtained)
11. Main Metaphor Families 1 2 3 4 Game play point score trump (vt 1598–) leader (n 1742, leader of specific suit) chess metonymies captain (n 1823–, leader of side/club) power (aj 1958–, other actions/types of play)
12. Main Metaphor Families 1 2 3 4 Large/strong Position Movement Possession Farming Sight Knowledge Game
13. Across the different disciplines of social science, studies of power and resistance continue to be dominated by [...] the distinction between persuading and coercing. Power may operate at the level of ideas, persuading the mind of its legitimacy, or it may work as a material force directly coercing the body. Mitchell, Timothy. 1990. Everyday Metaphors of
 Power. Theory and Society 19(5). 545-577. 1 2 3 4
14. Non-Systematic Metaphors 1 2 3 4 cat and mouse tall poppy law of the jungle top dog flex one’s muscles have a long arm wield a big stick steam-roller wear a horn and blow it not (C15th, Sc) straw-boss (N Am) kick ass and take names (N Am) under a thumb cat’s away, mice will play wrote the book on X godfather (N Am) the man outside Hoyt's (Aus) power is poison totem pole From: Wilkinson, Thesaurus of Traditional English Metaphors Sommer, The Metaphor Dictionary Renton, Metaphorically Speaking
15. The situation of the Greeks was very different from that of the barbarians. The former had been long since civilized and corrupted. They had too much taste to relinquish their language, and too much vanity to adopt any foreign institutions. Still preserving the prejudices, after they had lost the virtues, of their ancestors, they affected to despise the unpolished manners of the Roman conquerors, whilst they were compelled to respect their superior wisdom and power. Gibbon, Edward. 1998 [1776]. The Decline and
 Fall of the Roman Empire. Chapter II, p.33 1 2 3 4
16. 1 2 3 4 respect their superior wisdom and power
17. 1 2 3 4 respect VVI their APPGE superior JJ wisdom NN1 and CC power NN1
18. 1 2 3 4 respect VVI 02.01.17.02 [Respect] their APPGE 02.07.01-03.03. [Belonging to one...their] superior JJ 01.01.10.05.03.02 [Superior] 03.01.06.01.02-03 [superior in rank] wisdom NN1 02.01.08.02 [Wisdom, sagacity] and CC [Grammatical] power NN1 03.04.01 [Power]
19. 1 2 3 4 respect VVI 02.01.17.02 [Respect] their APPGE 02.07.01-03.03. [Belonging to one...their] superior JJ 01.01.10.05.03.02 [Superior] 03.01.06.01.02-03 [superior in rank] wisdom NN1 02.01.08.02 [Wisdom, sagacity] and CC [Grammatical] power NN1 03.04.01 [Power]
20. The HTOED shows how and why we must attend to the meanings of words and their contexts – past and present – if we want to understand how meaning is created and what the (stylistic) effects of words and their collocations or primings are. Busse, Beatrix. 2012. ‘A celebration of words and ideas: The stylistic potential of the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary’, Language and Literature 21(1). 1 2 3 4