Metapher und Norm

The relation between metaphor and normativity is not limited to implicit or explicit rules for establishing and using metaphors as linguistic expressions. On a scale between normative a non-normative meaning, metaphors generate different readings that can be activated in different ways, depending on context and interpretation. Cognitive metaphor theories make allowances for this potential of variation and modification, modelling metaphor as a conceptualization that is based on an original domain, used for a blending according to the production situation. We will discuss how and under which conditions this semantic and pragmatic potential of metaphors can be activated.