Confusing Logogenesis With Text Analysis & Misrepresenting The Unpacking Of Metaphor

Martin (1992: 410-1):

It is important to note that grammatical metaphor is a "recursive" process; a number of the "congruent" unpackings in the table above [Table 6.18] can themselves be unpacked. Capable for example is really an incongruent assessment of ability, realised congruently as can do.  Seen from an encoding perspective, the modulation of ability is first skewed from the modal verb (can) to adjective (capable), which is in turn nominalised as capabilities. Similarly, inadequate can be further unpacked as a negative phoric numerative not enough; emphasise can be rendered say to be important; advance can be related to make better; and strenuous is related to the noun strain which itself construes an action as a thing.

Blogger Comments:

[1] This confuses the process of grammatical metaphor (as deployed by speakers/writers during logogenesis) with the process of analysing grammatical metaphor (as carried out by a linguist).

[2] Halliday & Matthiessen (2004: 621) on potentiality/ability:

This is on the fringe of the modality system.  It has the different orientations of subjective (implicit only) realised by can/can’t, objective implicit by be able to, and objective explicit by it is possible (for …) to.  In the last of these, the typical meaning is ‘potentiality’… .  In the subjective it is closer to inclination; we could recognise a general category of ‘readiness’, having ‘inclination’ and ‘ability’ as subcategories at one end of the scale… .

[3] This is not unpacking metaphor. The word inadequate is an adjective, which is the congruent realisation of a quality, and so is not metaphorical and therefore needs no unpacking. It typically serves in a nominal group as interpersonal (attitudinal) Epithet — or otherwise as Post-Deictic — not as Numerative; cf. more/most inadequate.

[4] This is not unpacking metaphor. The word emphasise is a verb, which is the congruent realisation of a process, and so is not metaphorical and therefore needs no unpacking.

[5] This is not unpacking metaphor. The word advance is a verb, which is the congruent realisation of a process, and so is not metaphorical and therefore needs no unpacking.  It means 'to go forward' or 'make progress' rather than 'make better' (cf. improve, ameliorate).

[6] This is not unpacking metaphor. The word strenuous is an adjective, which is the congruent realisation of a quality, and so is not metaphorical and therefore needs no unpacking.  (Etymologically, strenuous derives from Latin strenuus meaning 'brisk', whereas strain derives from Latin stringere meaning 'draw tight'.)