An analogy-oriented type hierarchy for linguistic creativity

Metaphor and analogy are perhaps the most challenging aspects of linguistic creativity for a conceptual representation to facilitate, since by their very nature they seek to stretch the boundaries of domain description and dynamically establish new ways of determining inter-domain similarity. By solving the vexing representational problems posed by these phenomena, we can create a more fluid conceptual organization that is more suited to creative processing in general. Toward this end, this paper considers the problem of how a conceptual system structured around a central taxonomy can dynamically create new categories or types to understand creative metaphors and analogies. We demonstrate that the conventional wisdom regarding metaphor and analogy – that such processes are creative because clever word-play is indicative of an underlying mental agility and suppleness of conceptual structure – also withstands theoretical scrutiny when considered from the perspective of current creativity research. 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.