From Philological Tradition to Cognitive Semantics: the Evolution of Metaphor Studies in Romanian Linguistics

This article traces the evolution of idiomatic expression studies in Romanian linguistics, highlighting its alignment with broader linguistic movements, including early cognitive approaches. Through a historical analysis – spanning from Lazăr Șăineanu in the 19th century to Stelian Dumistrăcel in the 20th century – it demonstrates how Romanian phraseology anticipated key aspects of cognitive semantics. Idiomatic expressions not only enrich language but also structure collective thought, revealing deep connections between language, culture, and cognition. Romanian linguistics developed an original conception of metaphor that largely anticipated the "contemporary theory" of conceptual metaphor proposed by cognitive semantics. Analyses from Romanian philologists, folklorists, and linguists reveal an early cognitive perspective on metaphor, contrasting with the traditional rhetorical view. Unlike cognitive semantics, where the metaphor’s image remains external to word meanings, Romanian linguists integrate the image with linguistic concepts and cultural worldviews. The article also highlights key contributions from Romanian scholars, showing how their early work foreshadowed later formalized approaches by Lakoff and Johnson (1980). Furthermore, it examines the lexicalization of metaphors, demonstrating that while this process diminishes their evocative power, metaphors remain essential to language structure and function.