On the peculiarities of ontological metaphors functioning in historical non-fiction literature in English

The present study is based on a comprehensive analysis of ontological metaphors found in the historical non-fiction texts in English. The study focuses on the analysis of English-language texts containing ontological metaphors to qualify a metaphorical portrait of the sources under study. The presented study is aimed at identifying the features of the ontological metaphor implementation in the context of historical non-fiction literature. To achieve this aim, the selected material was arranged in accordance with the already existing classification of conceptual metaphors to identify the most common types, as well as to clarify the specifics of the ontological metaphors functioning in the texts of the historical non-fiction genre. Despite a significant number of papers on the study of metaphor from various angles, the problem of its complex analysis by taking into account the stylistic features of the analyzed material is not sufficiently disclosed. The relevance of the given study is also stipulated by the increasing interest in popular science and the historical nonfiction literature, in particular. The reference to the texts of the historical non-fiction register as a practical material is prompted by the importance of metaphor study and its functioning within the framework of the historical text, since metaphors are assumed to be treated as a link for the creation of an integral historical image and a narrative, significant for the interpretation of a historical event. Two historical nonfiction texts were selected as sources for the material under study: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Y.N. Harari and Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by J.M. Diamond. The number of words in the analyzed excerpts did not exceed 700. The total number of the analyzed words was 3500. The sampling was carried out using the Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP). This procedure is implemented to identify whether the use of a lexical unit can be described as metaphorical in the context. In addition, the given study is carried out in compliance with the classification of ontological metaphors, developed within the framework of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT). The results of the study showed that the ontological metaphor is prevalent (64%), followed by the structural metaphor, which accounted for 32% of the total number of the identified conceptual metaphors. The orientational metaphor is presented in 4% of cases. Within the framework of ontological metaphors, the leading one is personification (70%). This ratio can be explained by the peculiarity of the information presentation in historical non-fiction texts, in which rationalization and comprehension of events and experiences of the past through the prism of their autonomy are of great importance. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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