The image-schematic basis of the EVENT STRUCTURE metaphor

Within the framework of Cognitive Linguistics, the study of metaphor has received great attention mainly because of its conceptual character. This conception is at odds with traditional accounts, in which metaphor was merely a linguistic phenomenon endowed with a decorative function. One of the metaphors which has been the object of a greater amount of research is the EVENT STRUCTURE metaphor. It qualifies as a generic-level metaphor provided with a universal character. One of the main reasons for this is the image-schematic component which lies at the base of many of the expressions belonging to this metaphorical system. Image-schemas have long been postulated to emerge from everyday bodily experience (Johnson 1987; Lakoff 1987). It is thus argued that they are shared by people and cultures all over the world. As a consequence, any conceptual system based on them must be endowed with some universal character. We attempt to examine the image-schematic component which underlies the different specific metaphoric mappings which integrate the EVENT STRUCTURE metaphor both in the LOCATION and OBJECT branches.