doi: 10.18178/ijlll.2026.12.4.671
Metaphorical Implicitness: A Holistic Linguistic Approach
Li Jiang 1,*
,
Yi Wang 1
- 1 School of Foreign Languages, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Manuscript received July 28, 2025
- accepted August 16, 2025
- published October 17, 2026
Abstract
This study analyzes the implicit meanings of mountains as metaphorical sources in contrasting contexts. In Chinese metaphorical idioms (CMIs), mountain-related meanings are explicit and clear. In unmodified lexical metaphors (ULMs), however, these meanings are less explicit and more variable. Despite this difference, the core mountain symbolism remains consistent across both groups, with CMIs systematically clarifying the implicit meanings found in ULMs.
Keywords
- metaphorical implicitness
- idiomatic metaphors
- polysemy
How to Cite
Li Jiang and Yi Wang, "Metaphorical Implicitness: A Holistic Linguistic Approach," International Journal of Languages, Literature and Linguistics, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 263-267, 2026. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijlll.2026.12.4.671
Copyright & License
Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).