МЕТАФОРА КАК ВАЖНЫЙ ЭЛЕМЕНТ КОГНИЦИИ

The article deals with the metaphor as a speech and language phenomenon and as an important element of cognition. The authors stress the significant role of the metaphor in verbal communication. Having analyzed a sample of English and Russian fiction texts, they make a conclusion that metaphorical elements constitute an important tool for understanding reality. Metaphorical models make it possible to highlight or dim different aspects of a conceptualized object; the metaphor is complex and multifaceted, it helps reveal not only universal but also national aspects of the scientific discourse fixing both conscious and subconscious way of thinking of the scientist. The need to use a metaphor arises when the speaker has no other means to give information about the surrounding world; metaphorical units are used in speech to express abstract ideas through “conceivable”, i.e. more concrete concepts in a clearer and more comprehensible way. The authors specially focus on the examples of metaphorical usage of the word “glaza” [eyes] and make a conclusion about different metaphorical implications of the forms “glaz” and “glaza” [eye and eyes]. The study emphasizes the diversity of functions performed by the metaphor: it is often used for emotional intervention; the aim of the metaphor is not simply to name an object or phenomenon but to provide its expressive characteristics. The article concludes that the metaphor is both an associative mechanism and an object of speech interpretation and comprehension.