Creativity in Everyday Language

抄録

As soon as we engage in language use, we perform elaborate creative cognitive operations, and we do so for the most part unconsciously. Aspects of this basic creativity are discussed in the present article. First, I emphasize the central role of mappings in meaning construction, using examples from analogy and counterfactuals. Then, I turn to a complex and creative mapping operation, conceptual blending, and outline its dynamic properties. Finally, I return to counterfactuals, examine their analogical properties, and provide an analysis in terms of conceptual integration. The data and analysis illustrate the general theme that cognitive operations which apply creatively in science, art, or literature, also apply in everyday thought and language. Such operations are automatic, very fast, and largely unconscious.