Rhetoric Society Quarterly Jun 1983

Metaphor and its ties to ambiguity and vagueness

David Kaufer

Abstract

This paper examines the comparative usefulness of seeking to explain metaphor through the notions of ambiguity and vagueness. I argue that, despite long standing attempts to explain metaphor as a species of ambiguous language, all such attempts fail. I also argue that a less explored association, that between metaphor and vague language, can be exploited much more successfully in explaining a quite different aspect of metaphor‐why speakers might choose that trope over literal utterance in everyday contexts.

Journal
Rhetoric Society Quarterly
Published
1983-06-01
DOI
10.1080/02773948309390697
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