Definition
A substance metaphor is an ontological metaphor in which an abstraction, such as an event, activity, emotion, or idea, is represented as material.
Examples
(English)
- Here are some examples of the activity-as-substance metaphor:
- There was a lot of good sprinting in the race.
- I couldn’t do much sprinting until the end.
Sources 1
- Lakoff, G. and Johnson 1980, 25, 31