Cognitive Linguistic Study of Ontological Metaphors in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah

The study investigates the use of ontological metaphors in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah, focusing on how metaphors function not just as stylistic elements, but as cognitive tools for expressing complex social, emotional, and cultural realities. The study is grounded in Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) as proposed by Lakoff and Johnson (1980). It examines how Adichie uses ontological metaphors to represent abstract emotions and psychological states as physical entities, containers, or substances. Using a qualitative, text-based approach, five (5) instances of ontological metaphors of entity were purposely selected as the primary data. These metaphors are then analyzed in relation to their capacity to conceptualize abstract experiences in concrete terms. The findings reveal that ontological metaphors render psychological states and emotions as tangible, often physical entities. Similarly, the findings show how the analysed metaphors generate many other possible ontological metaphors, demonstrating the value of metaphor as a bridge between language, thought, and cultural identity. The study further observes that many of Adichie’s metaphors are shaped by Nigerian socio-cultural realities, yet they also extend across global and diasporic contexts, suggesting that the metaphorical conceptualisations may also be interpretable beyond the Nigerian context. Some metaphors evolve beyond conventional usage, acquiring richer and more layered meanings within the literary context. Overall, the research affirms that metaphor in Adichie’s fiction plays a central role in shaping both narrative discourse and character development.