Metaphor and Verbal Semiotics

With the emergence of Cognitive Semantics' Conceptual Metaphor Theory' metaphor is seen as a conceptual phenomenon, and, in turn, conceptual metaphor is conceived as underlying metaphorical expressions within language. While enthusiastically welcomed in the field, CMT has also been subject of much critique. Debated aspects of CMT such as the "conventional" and "shared" character of "mental imagery" are presented from the perspective of cognitive semiotics, an 'alternative' position to the lakovian approach. The paper proposes that the full reconstruction of CMT can only be done through a reinterpretation of both cognitive semantics and semiotics within the framework of Coserian verbal semiotics.