An analysis of metaphorical shifts in the meaning of verbs of resistance (based on the English language)

The paper studies metaphorical meaning of some English verbs of resistance, and their usage as means of conceptualization of human’s inner emotional and psychological states. The article provides a general overview of the phenomenon and types of human’s inner resistance, and units of the English language that are used to describe this phenomenon. Based on a case study of English language units, the authors analyze the direct nominative meaning of the verbs, as well as their metaphorical meaning, and outline the language units that help to conceptualize emotional states and mental processes as physical forces. The inference implies that some emotional and mental processes, namely, inner resistance, are conceptualized in human’s consciousness in terms of physical fight against material forces. The usage of the verbs fight and struggle for this purpose is explained by the necessity to express a high intensity of mental strain that cannot be represented by the direct nominative meaning of other verbs. The described metaphorical meaning of these two verbs cannot be found in their definitions in dictionary entries, which indicates insufficient study of their meaning and usage.