Attributive Gastronomic Metaphor in Russian: Aspects of Typology

The article examines the metaphorized aspects of the attributive semantics associated with the peculiarities of conceptualizing various features of food. The authors typologize attributes that are the basis of metaphorical projections of the gastronomic sphere phenomena onto a wide range of concepts from various target areas (thinking, psyche, social life phenomena, various objects of the physical world). The analysis of trends and aspects of food features metaphorization in Russian is presented on the material of figurative lexical and phraseological units. Food attributes are classified based on various methods of sensory signal cognitive processing with respect to the perception modality (intramodal, polymodal, crossmodal), rational or sensory perception dominant (rational - empirical), direct or indirect way of nomination (intensional - extensional), and the presence of evaluative attitude to a certain quality of food (axiological). As a result, a set of food product attributes relevant for the metaphorization process is identified and the figurative means of the Russian language are classified with a detailed description of aspects and trends of the figurative interpretation of these attributes within each class. The article presents a coherent fragment of the metaphorical worldview expressed by Russian attributive food metaphors. The following cognitive bases for metaphorical affinity are determined: 1) the ability to distinguish various tastes; 2) strong/weak taste receptors excitation; 3) pleasure/displeasure from taste sensations; 4) the degree of original positive food qualities preservation; 5) associations with food appearance as an attribute reference pattern; 6) food nutritional value; 7) contiguity of taste and olfactory perception modalities. The fixed sensory images based on perceptive food properties are used for metaphorical characteristics of human appearance and character, psycho-emotional state, life situations and social activities, economic phenomena, speech and artistic works. Examples of attributive food metaphor's textual representation in artistic, popular science, journalistic and advertising discourses demonstrate its significant pragmatic potential.

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