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In:Sociocultural Dimensions of Lexis and Text in the History of English
Edited by Peter Petré, Hubert Cuyckens and Frauke D'hoedt
[Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 343] 2018
► pp. 61–76

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Chapter 3
“… all spirits, and are melted into air, into thin air”

Metaphorical connections in the history of English

Published online: 4 July 2018
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https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.343.03ale
Abstract
This article uses data from Mapping metaphor with the Historical thesaurus to describe conceptual connections between the supernatural and other areas of the lexicon across the history of English. By discussing the cases of angels and evil in some detail, we also argue that the data and worldview presented here about the spirit world challenge the conventional concrete/abstract division found in metaphor theory, and propose an alternative.
Article outline
  • 0.Christian Kay, 1940–2016
  • 1.Mapping metaphorical connections
  • 2.Examining metaphor through lexical overlap
  • 3.1Q The supernatural
  • 4.Angels real and imagined
  • 5.Roots of evil
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (26)
References
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Cited by (1)

Cited by one other publication

Bergs, Alexander
2025. Cognitive Approaches to the History of English. In The New Cambridge History of the English Language, ► pp. 768 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 6 december 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

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