LIKE IN SIMILES – A RELEVANCE-THEORETIC VIEW

The paper examines the meaning of like as used in similes in the light of relevance theory. Similes, even though superficially indistinguishable from literal comparisons, are found to be closer to metaphors. Therefore, it is proposed that like in similes is different from like employed in literal comparisons. In particular, it is claimed that, contrary to the current relevance-theoretic position on this issue, like in similes introduces an ad hoc concept. This like is seen as both conceptual and procedural and, as such, it is distinct from both the conceptual like used in literal comparisons and the procedural like functioning as a pragmatic marker. Such a solution accounts for the similarities and differences between similes, metaphors and literal comparisons

Kościana igła z Owidza

The bone needle from Owidz The relic described in the article is an example of an object made of natural material. It was found in 2006 during excavation works conducted by Joanna Jarzęcka-Stąporek on an early medieval stronghold in Owidz. The Owidz needle has been preserved in its entirety, its length is 7.7 cm, the maximum width is 1.4 cm, and the diameter of the hole is 0.3 cm. The Owidz needle was probably made of an arrow bone of a pig. The monument has a polished and smoothed surface. It would seem that a small artifact like the needle is insignificant and too ordinary to talk about. However, the most unusual is that it survived in the earth for over 1000 years, that it was made by man and was used by people to make other objects. The needle is therefore a tangible testimony that has remained after people who have long gone

Metonymic relations : from determinacy to indeterminacy

The paper offers an account of metonymy along relevance-theoretic lines and discusses some stylistic effects which may be provided by metonymic expressions. We treat metonymically communicated concepts as part of the inferentially established proposition of an utterance and argue that many such concepts may be indeterminate. We posit that the reference of metonymic expressions is assigned through the operation of a pragmatic mechanism called contextual cognitive fix, which can be seen as an alternative to free enrichment. In line with other relevance-theoretic works, we see indeterminacy as an asset rather than deficit of communication, showing that it can be a source of stylistic effects also in the case of metonymy