LessonsFamiliar and Distinctive Metaphor: Obvious Resemblance and Artful RarityQuiz

In “raʾaytu asadan yarmī,” courage and shooting arrows do different jobs. Courage is the resemblance grounding the figurative transfer; the human action indicates that the animal meaning is not intended.

The common feature answers why the lion-image is suited to the target. The contextual indicator answers why the literal zoological interpretation is excluded.

Calling a metaphor familiar or unusual primarily concerns how the metaphorical relation is apprehended, not merely whether its clue is readily spotted.

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The common feature is not the indicator

Familiar and Distinctive Metaphor: Obvious Resemblance and Artful Rarity

In “raʾaytu asadan yarmī,” courage and shooting arrows do different jobs. Courage is the resemblance grounding the figurative transfer; the human action indicates that the animal meaning is not intended.

The common feature answers why the lion-image is suited to the target. The contextual indicator answers why the literal zoological interpretation is excluded.

Calling a metaphor familiar or unusual primarily concerns how the metaphorical relation is apprehended, not merely whether its clue is readily spotted.