Meanings are like Onions: a Layered Approach to Metaphor Processing
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| _version_ | 1866916897672396800 |
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| author | Cappa, Silvia Lippolis, Anna Sofia Zoia, Stefano |
| author_facet | Cappa, Silvia Lippolis, Anna Sofia Zoia, Stefano |
| contents | Metaphorical meaning is not a flat mapping between concepts, but a complex cognitive phenomenon that integrates multiple levels of interpretation. In this paper, we propose a stratified model of metaphor processing that treats meaning as an onion: a multi-layered structure comprising (1) content analysis, (2) conceptual blending, and (3) pragmatic intentionality. This three-dimensional framework allows for a richer and more cognitively grounded approach to metaphor interpretation in computational systems. At the first level, metaphors are annotated through basic conceptual elements. At the second level, we model conceptual combinations, linking components to emergent meanings. Finally, at the third level, we introduce a pragmatic vocabulary to capture speaker intent, communicative function, and contextual effects, aligning metaphor understanding with pragmatic theories. By unifying these layers into a single formal framework, our model lays the groundwork for computational methods capable of representing metaphorical meaning beyond surface associations, toward deeper, more context-sensitive reasoning. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_10354 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Meanings are like Onions: a Layered Approach to Metaphor Processing Cappa, Silvia Lippolis, Anna Sofia Zoia, Stefano Computation and Language Metaphorical meaning is not a flat mapping between concepts, but a complex cognitive phenomenon that integrates multiple levels of interpretation. In this paper, we propose a stratified model of metaphor processing that treats meaning as an onion: a multi-layered structure comprising (1) content analysis, (2) conceptual blending, and (3) pragmatic intentionality. This three-dimensional framework allows for a richer and more cognitively grounded approach to metaphor interpretation in computational systems. At the first level, metaphors are annotated through basic conceptual elements. At the second level, we model conceptual combinations, linking components to emergent meanings. Finally, at the third level, we introduce a pragmatic vocabulary to capture speaker intent, communicative function, and contextual effects, aligning metaphor understanding with pragmatic theories. By unifying these layers into a single formal framework, our model lays the groundwork for computational methods capable of representing metaphorical meaning beyond surface associations, toward deeper, more context-sensitive reasoning. |
| title | Meanings are like Onions: a Layered Approach to Metaphor Processing |
| topic | Computation and Language |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.10354 |