Continua and orientations of packing-repacking and unpacking ideational metaphor for knowledge construction

Abstract This article constructs the multidimensional paradigm to specify the continuum of ideational metaphor by virtue of metaphoricity. Metaphoricity is redefined as a relative term measured by the amount of grammatical metaphor and the rank-shift to delineate the continuum of metaphorization. As an expression is packed and repacked by ideational metaphor, its semantic density increases in implicitness. But its context-dependency declines since ideational metaphor smashes its iconic relation with the reality, which to a certain extent weakens semantic gravity. The orientation towards the nucleus can be instantiated to illustrate the direction of metaphorization. In contrast, as a metaphorical expression is unpacked, its semantic density decreases by releasing the inter-stratal tension between grammar and semantics. Its context-dependency strengthens by rebuilding its iconicity with the reality, which reinforces semantic gravity. An element with the lower nuclearity to Center may be unpacked at the initial stage. This article provides an academic lens for knowledge construction in English teaching and learning.