Metaphoric Modelling in Modern Linguistics

In modern science modelling is one of the main methods of scientific research. Metaphor began to be considered as a simulated object only from the end of the last century. In Eastern Slavic linguistics two approaches to modelling of metaphorisation have emerged – semantic and cognitive. Based on the analysis of linguistic studies in the sphere of metaphorical modelling, various ways of parametrising metaphors as a semantic and cognitive model have been characterized, their common parameters have been established, disputable questions have been highlighted. The author has developed a new semantic-cognitive approach to the study of metaphor and modelling of metaphorisation. According to it, metaphor is considered as a mental and verbal construct created in the process of human metaphorogenic activity. However, the study of cognitive mechanisms, including metaphorisation, is possible only based on the research of the results of their realisation in language (speech). Through the study of the semantics of the metaphorical nominations of a language and the construction of corresponding metaphorical models, the semantic-cognitive approach allows to establish the models of national metaphorical thinking characteristic of any historical period. The main points of this approach are briefly outlined, a parametric description of the metaphor as a semantic-cognitive model is represented, a rationale for the introduced notions of metaphorical mega-model and sub-model, semantic-cognitive formant is provided. The proposed technique is intended both for corpus research of metaphors and for the study of separate facts of a metaphorical nomination.