Significati non letterali nel discorso scientifico e accademico. Metafore, metonimie e personificazione di referenti inanimati

This paper focuses on the systematic presence of nonliteral meanings derived from specific types of metaphors and metonymies in scientific and academic discourse. The goal is to shed light on the changes that a significant number of verbs (such as suggerire, ricordare, etc.) undergo when transitioning from everyday usage to academic discourse, becoming part of the cross-disciplinary lexicon. Apparent semantic changes resulting from this transition are usually attributed to the “metaphorical use” of the verb. However, it is easy to prove that the metaphorical interpretation is in many cases the result of a grammatical and referential shift in the verb’s argument structure, triggered by often-overlooked forms of metonymy. These shifts confirm the frequency of metonymic conceptual motivations in metaphors and align with the well-known tendency to reify and objectify the conceptual creations of scientific thought (Fleck, 1979 [1935]). Raising awareness of these processes is essential to promoting a better understanding of text and discourse grammar, as well as the epistemological problems posed by hypostatization (objectification and personification) in science and other public discourse domains.