Figurative usage and metaphor of the transportation-related lexical items

This paper aims to explore the relationship between the figurative usage of transportation-related lexical items and conceptualization by examining the figurative meanings of these items and analyzing the conceptual metaphors that activate as cognitive mechanisms to understand these figurative meanings. To achieve this objective, this study first investigates lexical items related with transportation through examples in actual use from news media texts. Secondly, it scrutinizes their literal meanings and delves into their respective figurative meanings in the context. Finally, this study presents conceptual metaphors which the figurative meanings of the transportation-related lexical items are mainly derived from: [THE STATE IS A TRAFFIC LIGHT], [THE PROGRESS IS RUNNING MODE], [THE ENVIRONMENT IS A ROAD], [THE PACE IS RUNNING SPEED].