Editing Metalanguage (section)

== Role in metaphor ==

Michael J. Reddy (1979) argues that much of the language we use to talk about language is conceptualized and structured by what he refers to as the [[conduit metaphor]].<ref>Reddy, Michael J. 1979. The conduit metaphor: A case of frame conflict in our language about language. In  Andrew Ortony (ed.), ''Metaphor and Thought''. Cambridge: [[Cambridge University Press]]</ref> This paradigm operates through two distinct, related frameworks.

The ''major framework'' views language as a sealed pipeline between people:
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Major framework
|-
! Stage !! Description !! Example
|-
| 1 || Language transfers people's thoughts and feelings ([[mental content]]) to others || Try to get your thoughts across better
|-
| 2 || Speakers and writers insert their mental content into words || You have to put each concept into words more carefully
|-
| 3 || Words are containers || That sentence was filled with emotion
|-
| 4 || Listeners and readers extract mental content from words || Let me know if you find any new sensations in the poem
|}

The ''minor framework'' views language as an open pipe spilling mental content into the void:
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Minor framework
|-
! Stage !! Description !! Example
|-
| 1 || Speakers and writers eject mental content into an external space || Get those ideas out where they can do some good
|-
| 2 || Mental content is reified (viewed as concrete) in this space || That concept has been floating around for decades
|-
| 3 || Listeners and readers extract mental content from this space || Let me know if you find any good concepts in the essay
|}