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natural language metaphor

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A metaphor that personifies or animates language itself, portraying it as organic, evolving, or alive.

Detailed Definition
A natural language metaphor arises from everyday speech and observable experience—such as “time is a river”—rather than abstract or literary convention, grounding poetic imagery in shared sensory reality to enhance accessibility and emotional resonance.
Example
Example in poetry:
Calling a library "a silent brain" to convey the idea of stored knowledge; Describing a skyscraper as "a glass needle" to emphasize its height and fragility; Referring to a politician as "a weather vane" to imply someone who changes opinions with the popular mood; Describing sorrow as "a stone in the chest" to communicate its heavy, fixed nature;
Additional Notes
natural language metaphor: A metaphorical comparison that arises from common, everyday speech and conceptualizations (e.g., 'time is money'), rather than a fresh, original poetic image.
Also Known As
vernacular metaphor common-speech metaphor naturalistic imagery Biolinguistic metaphor
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